True Blood Brothers
by McGeeklover
Summary: This really shouldn't have happened;maybe if he hadn't been so curious then he wouldn't be stuck in the situation. Maybe if he hadn't strayed from the group then Nick wouldn't be stuck in this situation. And maybe they wouldn't be trapped in the middle of nowhere with Nigel Crane with a gunshot wound in his side and Nick unconscious.Greg!Hurt Nick!Guilt!Hurt. Set in end of S9
1. Chapter 1

**True Blood Brothers**

**Can you believe it! Another CSI story; god I am on a roll. I hope you think and don't worry I'm still working on the other two. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1**

He couldn't believe he let this happen. Maybe if he hadn't been so curious then he wouldn't be stuck in the situation. Maybe if he hadn't strayed from the group then _Nick_ wouldn't be stuck in this situation with him. God, he had been so stupid! And now Nick was unconscious across from him and it was scaring him. He'd been knocked out almost two hours ago and he still had yet to move. Why did he have to be such a screw-up? Shifting, Greg moved onto his good side- the side that didn't have a fucking gunshot wound in it. It didn't hurt as much as it did yesterday, but he knew that was a bad thing. His body was starting to succumb and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He just hoped Nick would get out alive and safely. With one last look at his motionless friend, Greg's eyes slowly dipped closed and he knew no more.

**48 Hours Earlier**

"Ha-Ha-Ha-choo! Ugh."

"Whoa, G, you feeling okay?" Nick said as he stuffed his things into his locker and grabbing his gun for the start of a new day…er, night.

"Doh," Greg said in a congested voice.

"You should go home...'cause I really don't wanna get sick."

"Thanks for caring for my well-being, Nicky."

Nick felt a twinge in his heart after Greg called him that name. The name _Warrick_ used to call him. But Warrick was dead. "Don't call me that," he growled. He didn't mean for it to come out that way, but it was still a touchy subject. He wasn't ready yet.

Greg's eyes were downcast as he whispered an apology and the locker room was awkwardly silent. And before Greg could say anything else, Nick stalked out of the room. Greg sighed sadly as he, too, slowly walked out of the room. He should have known the older man was still a bit sensitive on the Warrick subject; and even though he didn't even bring the deceased CSI up, he didn't need to. 'Nicky' was usually Warrick's name for the Texan…not his, and he should've remembered that he would never replace Warrick. He would never be Nick's best friend or brother. Sniffing, and not because of his cold, Greg got ready for their new case. Just as he was about to go into the evidence room, he noticed the team- and a bunch of others- were in the break room watching something that seemed to be interesting. Frowning, he joined the group and watched the news report on TV. He glanced over to Nick to see that his face was as white as a ghost; something was wrong. Maybe it had something to do with Warrick? Deciding to wait to ask what was wrong, he turned to the report and listened closely.

"…_at the High Desert State Prison where 30 year old Nigel Crane, who has been incarcerated for nearly 9 years, has escaped and is now on the run. LVPD is trying their best to catch the…"_

The rest of the words faded out when Greg heard this. Nigel Crane was out and he knew exactly who he was gonna go after. He looked to where Nick was, but he found the Texan had bolted out the door and towards the men's bathroom. Not even thinking twice, he followed and when he entered the room, he was met with a putrid smell along with the tell-tale sound of retching.

"Nick?"

The Texan coughed and wiped his mouth as he stood up and stumbled to the sink. After he splashed cold water on his face, he dried it off and took a deep breath. He looked at Greg with fearful eyes. He wouldn't go through this again. He couldn't.

"We'll get him, buddy," Greg reassured. "I promise."

Nick smiled weakly. "Thanks."

With that, Greg led Nick out of the bathroom and towards Grissom's office. Just as they were about to sit down, Brass popped in.

"How ya doin', Stokes?"

"Never better," Nick said with a sarcastic smile. "I just wanna get through this without being threatened or maimed this time."

"Well, your wish might've just come true." With that, he flicked his finger towards the conference room.

Nick and Greg frowned at each other before standing and following the older man. Catherine, Ray, and Sara were there as well and Greg knew this was going to be serious.

"We might've just gotten a lead. Someone called about ten minutes after the report, saying that they live out in the rural area and she had talked to a man that looked just like Crane. He's holed up in some abandoned house off of I-345."

"Well then let's go!" Nick said standing up eagerly. "What are we waitin' for? For all we know he could just be stopping by."

"Nick," Catherine began, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You should stay behind; just for your safety."

"No! I can't just sit around and let you guys go alone; I want to be there when you catch him…or kill him."

"Nick-"

"Please. I promise I'll stay by you or another police officer the whole time."

Catherine looked reluctant but rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine; but you need to wear a vest- all of us need to- and you need to stay close, got it?"

"Understood."

"Alright," Brass said. "My guys and S.W.A.T are waiting a few miles from the house. Once we get there…well, you know the deal."

The CSI's nodded in acknowledgement as they got ready and made their way to separate cars. Greg and Nick were in one, Sara and Catherine, and then Brass and Ray. The ride was quiet, and Greg kept glancing at Nick to make sure he wasn't gonna go crazy and run them off the road. He couldn't believe this was happening. When he first heard about Nigel and Nick, he hadn't actually seen what happened, but it had upset the man and didn't want to bring it up. And now years later, he was actually gonna see the bastard. He looked out the window and watched the scene go by. His heart was racing and he hoped things would go okay.

"Hey G?" Nick suddenly spoke.

"Yeah," Greg replied, but didn't look away from the window.

"I'm uh…I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

Greg looked at Nick and smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it; I get that you're still…hurting, and I went a little too far. I should be the one who's sorry."

"Greg-"

"Don't worry about it. It's fine, I swear."

"Okay man," Nick smiled as he brought his eyes back to the road. After a couple seconds of silence, Nick spoke up again. "You never told me how you got sick; allergies or something?"

"Let's just go with 'or something'" Greg muttered looking back out the window.

"Come on, G, just tell me."

Greg sighed in annoyance. Nick was never gonna let it go. "The stripper I was with a few nights ago was sick, but I didn't know. Gives a whole new definition to cooties, huh?"

"Stripper?" Nick laughed. "Didn't peg you for that type of guy…then again, maybe I can believe that. What was her name? Was she hot?"

"Cynthia and I'd give her a 15 out of 10."

"Well done buddy, well done," Nick grinned proudly.

The rest of the ride there they were laughing like nothing had ever happened that morning. Like they were brothers.

~+CSI+~

"You ready?"

Nick nodded to Brass, his jaw clenched tightly in anger. Nigel was a dead man. He was too dangerous to even be in prison. Half of them were in the back while he, Brass, Greg and Catherine were out front.

"On my mark," Brass whispered. "Go, go, go, go! Nigel Crane, LVPD! Come out with your hands up!" He shouted as they burst through the doors.

Nothing.

"Let's search the house," he grumbled, gesturing the S.W.A.T and other officers spread out. Just as they were about to, all of them heard a loud noise upstairs. Instantly, they lined up and quietly climbed the stairs, guns at the ready.

"Nick," Catherine whispered as Nick tried to get ahead. "I mean it, stay by me."

"Alright, alright."

As the line moved up the stairs, Greg found that he was last in line. Well, it was better than Nick being last. No telling what-

_Clunk_

Greg frowned and paused, forgetting that staying with the team was a priority. What was that noise? It had come from somewhere downstairs and he couldn't resist; he had to check it out. He knew it was a bad idea, but he completely forgot his common sense and stepped back down.

Walking stealthily through the house, he rounded the corner and entered the kitchen. It was too quiet; so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. His breathing intensified and the total silence was disturbing. Maybe the sound was just his imag-

"Time for beddy-bye," a voice said. And before he had time to turn around, someone shoved a recognizable smelly cloth over his face. An arm went across his chest and as much as he tried to twist and squirm, his attempts to get away were weakening. He could feel himself slipping away and he knew it was too late; he was a goner. His eyes began to dip close and in seconds his whole body went limp, darkness taking over.

~+CSI+~

The group silently made their way up to the second landing and spread out.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

And now there was only one door left. This was it; Nigel Crane had no way out and he was gonna get his.

"Crane! We're giving you one last chance!" Shouted Brass angrily. "3, 2-" Brass kicked the door after impatience got the best of him and they dispersed into the room. The sight they saw was disappointing yet humorous. Nigel Crane wasn't there; it was just a bunch of raccoons running around, climbing in and out of the open windows.

"Great," Nick said, holstering his weapon. "Cute baby raccoons and no Nigel."

"Maybe he already left," Sara said.

"Yeah." Then Nick looked around with a frown. "Where's Greg?"

"The blonde kid?" An officer said. "He was right behind me; he was the last one to come up the stairs."

"Did you actually _see_ him come up the stairs with us?" Nick said as he left the room, worry growing at the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right here. Where the hell was Greg? God, if he wandered off he was gonna kill him.

"Well, n-no."

"Dammit," Catherine cursed, following the Texan.

"Greg! Greggo!" Nick called. Getting no response, he tore down the stairs and frantically looked around for his friend. But the young CSI was nowhere to be seen…and when he rounded the corner, his heart stopped.

"Cath!" He shouted. "Oh god."

The team ran to Nick's aid and they, too, all froze in their tracks. Right in front of them was Greg's gun, vest and a note on the top. Shakily, Nick put on a glove before picking it up, unfolding it and regretting what he was gonna read.

_Hello Nicky,_

_ Long time no see. I've missed you and every day I was in my cell, I'd think of you. You are my idol Nicky; you are me and I am you. Why can't you see that? We are meant to be best friends. Not this stupid, energetic wannabe that I managed to take from underneath your nose. You should tell Catherine to watch her CSI's better. Anyways, this'll probably be the last time you'll see him; you see, he is not your best friend or your brother. He cannot take my place; not when we had such a strong connection. If you really want him back, I'll be happy to make an exception…for a price. And I know you Nicky. I know what you'll do; we have the same minds. You'll know the right thing to do. I'll call you with more details, but right now I have a piece of worthless shit to take care of._

_ -See you soon, your one and only true blood brother, _

_ Nigel_

When Nick was finished, tears were at the brim of his eyes and his hands were shaking so much, he began to wrinkle the paper. _Son of a bitch! This was really happening. Nigel took Greg from him. God, this had to be a nightmare._

"Greg."

**TBC?**

** What do ya think? Should I continue? Let me know, because I'm so excited to write this story! And I have no idea why, but I just love writing stories from with 'after- Warrick dies' time zone…weird. I think I just like the time zone where Nick is still a bit bruised after his best friend's death and Greg is still not quite in Warrick's shoes. And wasn't that an awesome CSI?! Greg got locked in a freezer; just imagine all the things that could've happened and all the Hurt!Sick!Greg stories that could be made. *hint hint* (not me…yet…I still have two stories to tend to, so off to write them!) Anyways, let me know! REVIEWS!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**OMG thanks for all the favs/ reviews so quickly! It made me so happy! **

They searched the _entire_ house for the younger CSI, but turned out unsuccessful. Greg was gone.

"Dammit," Nick said, running a hand through his hair nervously as he paced the empty room. "That stupid bastard, why did he go off on his own like that?"

"Nick!" Sara started.

"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just…why didn't Nigel take me? Greg has nothing to do with what happened seven years ago."

"We'll find him, Nick. Nigel probably hasn't gotten very far."

Little did she know how right she was.

"I hope so."

"Come on, let's get back to the lab," Sara whispered, leading Nick out of the house.

"No. I have to do something to keep me going. I'm gonna stay here with Catherine and find evidence."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Okay; I'll see you later."

Sara left with most of the guys, leaving only him, Catherine and Grissom, plus a couple officers, at the scene.

"God."

Catherine smiled sadly as she put a hand on Nick's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "It'll be alright, Nicky. We'll get him back."

Nick forced a smile before going outside to see if there were any exits that Nigel could've taken Greg out of. If there was, it'd be possible footprints could be present. God, he prayed. It was quiet outside and he was alone, giving him some time to think. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. If he lost Greg…he didn't know what he'd do. Scream? Cry? Quit? Kill himself? Losing one of his best friends was already painful enough, but now this? He took a shuddering breath as he rounded the corner to the back of the building.

"Come on G, where are you?"

Suddenly he came across a storm cellar door and he had this gut feeling that something wasn't right. Taking a deep breath, he took a picture of it and the ground around it before prying it open. Stealthily, he walked down the stairs and into the cool air of the basement. It was eerie, cobwebs and dust everywhere, the musty smell protruding his senses. The only sounds were of the faint footsteps coming from upstairs and his breathing. He walked slowly around the room, looking for anything that might give them a clue to where Nigel and Greg were.

After a few minutes of wandering, he came to a conclusion: the only way to get to the basement was from the storm door, there wasn't anything down there besides pipes and drains and there was only one small closet that had a dirty old mop inside. _Perfect place for a haunted house._ Just as he was about to go back out, he passed a narrow hallway, which was weird, because he didn't see it there before. He knew he should probably get Catherine, but at the moment, he wasn't thinking straight. All he cared about was finding Greg.

"Greg?" He whispered loudly, moving farther into the hallway. After what seemed like hours, he came out to another room where it was completely empty.

"Well, that was a waste of time," he grumbled. But then something caught his eye. It was some sort of latch, so camouflaged with the cement ground, he almost didn't see it. Later he would wonder if finding that was a good or bad thing. There was something ominous about the whole thing and he knew he was being careless. Carefully, he bent down and pulled on the latch which opened a hidden trap door. What he saw made his blood run cold. It was Greg crumpled on the ground, his hands tied behind his back, a dirty rag stuffed in his mouth- no doubt soaked in chloroform- and a sticky red substance clumping his blonde hair together. And worst of all: he wasn't moving. It could be from the chemicals or…no he wasn't gonna think about that.

"Oh god. Greg, Greg can you hear me, bud?"

"No, but I can," a voice sneered. A voice that he recognized very well even if it had been years.

And before he felt something collide with the back of his head, he caught glimpse of familiar black- rimmed glasses. Nigel Crane.

~+CSI+~

Grissom had this nagging feeling in his gut, but he didn't know what seemed out of place. Yeah, one of his best CSI's was gone, but there was something else.

"You okay, Gil?"

"I don't know," he said as he walked outside to where Nick had gone. "Something doesn't seem right."

The blonde followed the older man outside and watched him carefully to see what got him so riled up.

"Gil?"

"Hold on…Nick? Nicky!"

No response. "Something's wrong…Nick!" Grissom ran back inside and went up to an officer.

"Did you see Stokes anywhere?"

"No, he went outside and-"

"You were supposed to be with him!" Grissom shouted as he rushed back out the door and searched for the Texan. This was impossible; both of his CSI's had gone missing within a matter of ten minutes apart. He jogged around the building, but found no sign of his CSI.

"Dammit, Nicky."

~+CSI+~

"Ugh," Nick groaned as his head pounded angrily. What the hell happened? Then it hit him. Nigel, house, Greg, basement, Nigel.

"Son of a bitch." He couldn't believe he let that bastard get the drop on him. Nick slowly lifted his head up and blinked to get a look at his surroundings. The room he was in was dimly lit, four cement walls, and no windows. The hatch where he must've been _pushed_ in had disappeared and he knew that there was no way out unless Nigel came back. He was screwed. His eyes scanned the small room and he stopped when he saw a crumpled figure by the other wall. Greg.

"Greg! Greg, can you hear me bud?"

Silence. God what did Nigel do to the kid? Well, he at least had to get that nasty rag out of his mouth. It probably was doing nothing to help his cold either. Nick needed to get them out of here before Greg's sickness got the better of him. No doubt there were infectious diseases in this room just waiting to get a hold on the most vulnerable body.

Nick heaved himself up and crawled to where his best friend lay unconscious.

"Greg," he whispered, pulling out the rag and gently shaking the man's shoulder. "Come on, G, wake up…please."

He was worried about what Nigel had done to Greg exactly. Did he hit him over the head, poison him, _kill_ him? No, thankfully, the younger CSI had a pulse…though it was a bit rapid. He ran a hand through the kid's damp hair before sighing heavily, checking for any obvious signs of injury on the small body. There was none to his relief, but didn't mean he was feeling at his best and…ugh! Why didn't he think about it before? He dug through his pockets but his one flash of hope disappeared when he realized Nigel had been smart enough to take his phone _and_ gun away.

"Fuck…come on Greggo, wake up already."

Finally, after almost three minutes, Greg began to stir. Nick sat forward anxiously; he wanted to make sure the kid knew he wasn't by himself in this.

"Greg? Greg, bud, you alright? Can you hear me?"

Greg's forehead creased and a whimper of pain passed through Greg's lips.

"That's it G, just wake up for me. Open those eyes."

"N-Nick?" Greg's voice was scratchy and weak thanks to those damn chemicals.

"Yeah, it's me buddy," Nick smiled, cupping the back of Greg's neck. It was warm as was his forehead and he knew Greg was gonna catch something if he didn't get help soon.

Greg's eyes flickered open and instantly Nick knew the kid had a fever with his glassy eyes.

"Damn," he muttered.

"Where are we?" Greg groaned, trying to move his arms, but found that he couldn't. He started to pull on the ropes, chafing his skin in the process, and panicked. "Nick, where are we!"

"Greggo, calm down buddy; you're gonna be okay…what do you remember?" He helped Greg sit up and leaned him against the wall. He tried untying the ropes, which were extremely tight, and when he did, Greg sighed in relief as feeling slowly surged back into his hands.

"Thanks…umm," Greg scrunched his forehead in thought against his pounding head. "I…I can't remember, Nick why can't I remember?"

"Greg, you need to take it easy, alright? We'll be okay, I promise. Do you trust me?"

"What? Of course I do."

"Alright then I swear we'll get out of here. Now come on, think real hard."

"Okay…uh I think we were about to go find Nigel Crane and…I'm sorry that's all I can remember. I'm so stupid, why can't I remember?"

"Easy, bud, easy. It's okay, that's good enough. I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget me, because- come on- who could?" Nick joked and was happy when Greg released a small grin.

"Whatever, hotshot…so do _you_ know where we are," Greg grimaced as he tried to get comfortable.

"Uh…somewhere in the basement."

"What? You mean we aren't even out of the house? Is Nigel doing this?"

"'Fraid so, buddy."

"Just great."

The room was silent for a moment before Greg broke out into a chest rattling cough. He groaned weakly as he rested his head on the wall. He was exhausted and he felt like crap; perfect timing to get kidnapped just as you're getting sick. He shivered even though he could feel sweat coating his whole body. Greg swallowed thickly as tears threatened to show, but he wouldn't let them; he didn't want Nick to think he was weak. He suddenly felt someone's arm snake around his shoulders and he gasped, his eyes snapping open. Only then did he realize it was just Nick. And he didn't even bother to ask why, because it was so comforting. He let his head rest on the Texan's shoulder and he stared straight ahead, knowing that falling asleep with a concussion- which he knew he had- was dangerous. Shivering again, he wriggled closer to Nick's side and sighed heavily.

"It'll be okay, buddy. We'll get out of here soon, I promise." Nick felt Greg nod against his shoulder and he squeezed the kid's shoulder gently.

Suddenly, they heard a loud thud followed by a creaking sound and Nick had a feeling that Nigel was returning. He pulled Greg closer to him protectively as they waited in fear.

"Nick-"

"It'll be okay, don't worry," Nick assured. To be honest, though, he wasn't sure if he could believe his own words but of course he wouldn't tell Greg that. Pessimism was the last thing that needed to be on the kid's mind. And without warning, the dim light in the dungeon-like room there were in shut off, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Son of a bitch," Nick muttered.

After what seemed like hours waiting in complete darkness and silence, the light snapped back on…but they were no longer alone. Nigel Crane was standing in front of them with a Cheshire grin on his squirrelly looking face.

"Let us go, you bastard," Greg burst out angrily.

Nick squeezed the kid's arm, telling him to shut up. He was gonna get himself killed, because he had no idea what Nigel was capable of.

"Oh I will…but not until you're dead and I have Nicky all to myself. You see, you don't deserve him; Nick's my friend and soon I'll make him realize you are nothing but a worthless piece of shit."

Nick grinded his teeth in sheer rage. He wanted so badly to punch the smug grin off this asshole, but he was afraid what Nigel might do…and not to him, but to Greg. He'd be damned if he let Nigel hurt Greg just because the stalker wanted to be alone with his idol.

"If you dare touch him-" Nick began.

"Now Nicky, don't you want to be together? We're best friends remember?" Nigel moved in closer and Nick was ready to lash out when he saw the gun behind his back.

"So, how 'bout we all cooperate? Nick, come with me; you don't want to be near that dick."

Nick felt Greg squeeze his arm fearfully. "No. I'm not leaving."

"I promise, it's not far."

"Go to hell."

Nigel squinted his eyes and looked at Nick angrily. "You _will_ listen to me, Nicky," he began as he took out the gun…Nick's gun, and pointed it at Greg's head. "Or I will blow his brains out with _your_ gun. Now I'm sure you wouldn't care, but even I wouldn't want to be in here with a rotting body…so choose."

After a second of hesitation, Nick agreed. "Fine," he said through clenched teeth.

"Nick, don't," Greg pleaded as Nick started to get up.

"I'm sorry G, it's for your own good."

Nigel smiled and brought Nick to the far corner of the room. Nick looked confused but as Nigel told him to sit and put his left hand to the wall, he knew what was going on. Within seconds he felt cold metal being snapped around his wrist. He was suddenly having a bad feeling about what was going to happen.

"Good, now we can start with no interruptions," Nigel smiled.

He moved over to Greg, who was pressed up against the wall with fear. Without hesitation he brought the butt of the gun down on the younger man's head, rendering him unconscious. He instantly slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Nick pulled on the shackle angrily. "Greg! I told you not to touch him you son of a bitch!"

Nigel just ignored him as he grabbed Greg's ankles and began dragging him to another hidden door. _Geez this place was like a friggin' funhouse…except there's nothing fun about this._

"What are you doing? Where are you going with him?"

"I really don't want you to see this, Nicky. Hear it, yes, but I want to torture you the way you tortured me."

"Me torture you? Ha, I never touched you. You were the one who tried to hurt me."

"I never meant to do that; I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me. But you're right, you never laid a finger on me. But you hurt me…my feelings. And now I'm gonna show you what it was like for me in jail and you're gonna listen to the whole thing."

Nick's face paled as Nigel grinned evilly at him and dragged Greg into the next room, shutting the door behind them.

"Nigel! Nigel, don't touch him!" Nick pulled his arm, but only resulting in hurting his shoulder. Then everything became disturbingly quiet. He hated that it. And all of a sudden a blood-curling scream rang out through the room and his heart dropped. It was Greg.

"Please don't, plea-ahhhh!"

**TBC**

** OOH a cliffy! Sorry, I had to end it somewhere interesting! Now I have to go finish up my other chapter for Mauled. REVIEWS!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**NEW CSI IN TEN HOURS! I wonder why Morgan is crying! Who do you think might've gotten killed/hurt? OMG I cannot wait!**

"Oh god." What the hell was Nigel doing in there? He didn't want to think about it and he shut his eyes in hopes to block out Greg's tortured screams, but it didn't work. He wondered if Catherine and the rest of the guys could hear it, though it was doubtful. As much as he hated to admit it, Nigel was smart; the rooms were probably made to block out sound. And when he heard Greg cry, it made his breath catch in his throat and cause tears to start trickling down his face. Greg was getting tortured and he couldn't do a damn thing.

~+CSI+~

Catherine massaged her temples and closed her eyes. _Both_ Nick and Greg were gone and they had no idea where Nigel could've taken them. This year had been the worse; Warrick getting murdered, Greg getting beaten nearly to death, Nick getting buried alive, and now their best CSI's were kidnapped by a jail escapee. Fucking Nigel Crane! She slammed her fists on the table before burying her face in her hands.

"Hey Cath?" A voice said. Sara…and she still didn't know.

She lifted her head and looked at the younger woman sadly. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen, Nick? I need to have him talk about the case on Nigel Crane to bring Ray up to speed."

Catherine sighed and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nick is…Nick was kidnapped, too."

~+CSI+~

Nick's body shook with dry sobs as he was forced to listen to Greg's tortured cries and pleas.

"Please stop, please stop, please stop," Nick repeated quietly. 'Stop hurting him you son of a bitch.'

With whatever time that passed, the sounds began to fade…and he didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. And then all the noises just stopped. Nick's heart pounded painfully against his chest as he waited for something to happen. The secret door suddenly swung open and he saw Nigel's back, bent over and dragging Greg by the arms. A silent and unmoving Greg. Nigel then carelessly dropped Greg to the ground and chained an unnaturally bent looking wrist to the wall, similar to Nick's. Nigel stood up and stretched before facing Nick with a grin on his face.

"That was fun."

Nick glared at his stalker angrily, clenching his fists tightly, wanting to beat the shit out of this guy.

"Say…where's Mr. 1970's?"

Now Nick was confused. "What?"

"The black guy, afro dude, kinda tall with an arrogant attitude; I didn't see him earlier; is he dead or something?"

Nick went silent, staring daggers at the man. He knew he was talking about Warrick and right now he didn't want to think about Warrick. He wanted to get out of here and save Greg, who looked like he might not even live.

"Oh, so he is dead. Shame; now you have this poor pathetic excuse for his replacement, huh? That must suck; I'd kill myself if I had to be friends with him."

"Shut up."

"Why are you defending him? I thought you hated him?"

"Why would you think that? The only person I hate most in this room is you."

"Ow, I'm hurt. But really, when he was begging for me to stop, he cried out your name. I told him over and over again how much you hated him- even gave him some examples. Took a while, but he finally realizes how much he doesn't mean to you. _We're_ friends, Nicky, _we're_ brothers. Not him. He's just a wannabe CSI, remember? Remember you called him that?"

Nick sat in shock at what he just heard. Greg was going to be scarred mentally after this and he was pretty damn sure that it would take time and a lot of convincing to get Greg to know that he meant a lot to the Texan. He loved the kid like a little brother and he was gonna tell him that.

"Nothing else to say? Well, then I'll just leave the two of you alone." With that, the lights shut off, there was the creaking of the trap door and the lights flickered back on. Immediately, Nick's attention moved to Greg. What he saw was not pleasant.

"Oh god. Greg?"

Nothing but silence and the sound of Greg's raspy breathing were heard. Well at least he was breathing…but for how long? He was gonna rip Nigel's lungs out; he had done a number on the kid and frankly it made him want to puke. This was worse than when he saw Greg in the hospital after the beating. Bruises were already starting to form on his entire face, his wrist looked broken and no doubt he had other broken bones. Blood caked his blonde hair, though it no longer looked that color, and there were open wounds on every area of exposed skin. And that wasn't even the severest of it. Under Greg's ripped clothes, he could see bright red skin in the shape of a circle. Nigel had fucking burned him! Tears rolled down his face as he could visibly see Greg's chest rise and fall erratically with every strained breath. Nick knew that if the young CSI didn't get help soon, he was going to die; there was no denying that.

"Greggo please, just hang on buddy. I'll get us out of here, I promise. Just please hang on."

~+CSI+~

"Archie, please tell me you got something on either of the boys' phone," Catherine said eagerly. They just told Ray everything that happened since Nigel Crane came into their lives and never seemed to leave. And now the entire nightshift was focusing on one thing: finding Greg and Nick.

"Well, Greg's last known location, according to his GPS, was the house you guys were in-which is no surprise there and Nick's….Nick's phone was also there."

"Great," Catherine said as she began to leave.

"Wait! It's showing a specific location for Nick's cell."

Catherine ran back into the room, hoping to catch a break in this case. "Well?"

"Nick's last GPS location was at the house, but in the basement."

Catherine smiled and patted Archie on the back before dialing Brass' number and running out of the room. Their luck just might've changed.

In a matter of twenty minutes, the team was back at the house and headed towards the cellar door and, hopefully, to Nick and Greg.

~+CSI+~

Nick gasped when the light unexpectedly shut off again and hasty footsteps hit the cement. When the lights turned back on he found that Nigel had an arm around Greg's neck tightly while a gun was pressed firmly to his head.

"You say anything, I'll blow his brains out."

"What are-"

"Learn your manners, Nicky and do what I so politely asked you to do. It seems your team found out the basement part, but I'm pretty sure they won't find this place."

"I did, so what makes you think they won't?" Nick snarled.

"If I wanted them to find it, I would've of made it so. I made it so you would, Nicky 'cause I _wanted_ you to find it. I can hide this place very well, so well that your team will have thought to have made a mistake and leave us alone once again. Isn't that great? You and me alone…except we have him," Nigel said jolting Greg violently. "But not for long."

Nick swallowed as he forced himself to keep his mouth shut.

_"Nick! Nick can you hear me?"_ Catherine. God, he wanted so badly to shout out, but Greg's life was on the line and he wasn't going to risk anything.

_"Nick!" _Grissom.

"_Stokes! Stokes, are you down here?" _Brass.

The three waited in silence as the team called Nick's name numerous times, walked around the basement for a while, before figuring Nick wasn't here and left.

"That was close, wasn't it Nick? I thought for sure they would take me away from you. But they don't understand. No one will except for you; we are blood brothers and no one can separate us."

Nick had enough. "Nigel, I don't know what's going on in your sick mind, but it needs to stop. You need to let us go, or at least Greg. He has nothing to do with this. He doesn't-"

"You're wrong!" Nigel exploded, dropping Greg onto the ground. "We're friends remember? Why can't you see that?" He moved over to the Texan and began kicking him in the stomach and punching him in the face. "Why *punch* can't *kick* you *kick* see *punch* that we *punch* were meant to *kick* be together?! Greg does have to be here, you know why? Because I need to show you what idiotic *kick* piece *punch* of shit he is."

When Nigel stopped, Nick was curled in on himself, groaning in pain. That was gonna leave a mark. Nigel inhaled sharply and realized what he had just done.

"I'm sorry, Nicky. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." And when he moved in to hug the Texan, Nick growled and moved back.

"Get the hell away from me."

"But Nick-"

"Go!"

Nigel nodded and the lights turned off. Just when he thought the man was gone, he heard him whisper in his ear, causing him to shudder in disgust.

"I'm sincerely sorry; I'll be back later, Nick…and soon we'll be alone for good."

The lights turned back on and Nigel was gone. Nick took a deep breath before tears started flowing out onto his cheeks. From pain, from fear, and from wondering if Greg was going to live through this. With one last look to his unmoving friend, the pain became overwhelming and it took Nick into unconsciousness.

~+CSI+~

The first thing he felt was pain…almost white hot. But then he remembered: he_ did_ get burned. Branded like a friggin cow. And it wasn't just that. It was extremely hard to move his body, because every time he did, pain would shoot up into his body. He was surprised he wasn't dead yet. He forced his eyes open, only to find out his left one was partially swollen and he could only see through a slit. Groaning, he tried rolling onto his side, but the pain was too much…and his arm was now chained to the wall. He whimpered, but then stopped. He didn't want Nick to think he was weak and pathetic…even though he obviously was. Speaking of the man, where was he? Scanning the room, he gasped when he saw Nick in a fetal position, his eyes closed and his face pained.

"N-Nick? Nick, are you okay?" When he received no response, he figured he was unconscious. What the hell did Nigel do to him? Nick didn't deserve to be beaten. He would take all the hits if it meant Nick being safe. Now that he thought about it, he realized this situation could've been prevented; if he hadn't wandered off then maybe they'd be back at the lab, safe and sound. Why was he such a screw-up? He was not cut out to be a CSI anymore and if they ever got out of this, he would either resign or go back to being a geeky lab tech. He was sure Nick would be happy about that since the Texan hated his guts. He didn't blame him either, he was a wannabe, a loser, he couldn't do anything right, and he always messed things up. He was a freak, spineless and a baby. He didn't deserve Nick as a friend or as a brother. He couldn't replace Warrick so why bother try and be friends with the Texan? So, he just hoped when they got out of here- if they got out of here- that he could leave and never come back. Nick would be rid of him forever. Tears made their way out onto his face as the pain- mental and physical- took him back to darkness…where it was safe.

**TBC**

** Not a very good ending for a chapter, but I hope you liked the rest of it :) Poor Greggo though :( Mistakes R Mine**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Nick shivered as he could feel himself climbing back to consciousness. His eyes blinked open and he squinted against the harsh light. _How long has it been?_ Damn, his head hurt like a mother and he knew that his body was probably already covered in forming bruises. Then a name suddenly clicked in his head. _Greg._ Nick scrambled to his knees and looked at his friend and to his relief, the kid was awake! But something was wrong. He was curled up against the wall, his arms wrapped protectively around his waist, and his body shaking with tremors. And worst of all, his eyes were unseeing- not in a dead kinda way, but in a haunted, fevered, pained way.

"Greg? G, you alright, man?" _Stupid question Nick, of course he's not!_

The man didn't respond except for curling in on himself more, grimacing when he jarred his battered body, and coughing harshly which made Nick wince in sympathy.

"Come on man talk to me." _I need to know if you're okay._

Greg still remained soundless.

"Greggo, please. Whatever Nigel made you believe, none of its true, alright? I don't hate you and you definitely aren't pathetic or a CSI wannabe. You're a damn good investigator and I'm so proud of you."

Greg lifted his head weakly and stared at the Texan with sad brown eyes.

"Greg."

"I-" Greg began, his voice sounding small and weak. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Nick."

"G, I promise you- I swear on my own life that everything that bastard said to you is a lie. Please don't believe him. He's just-"

Suddenly the trap door swung open- this time the light not shutting off, which was weird and worried Nick…but maybe it was his team, maybe they found them. His hopes were slashed, however, when he saw Nigel come down…and he looked pissed. Nick looked up at the man his face masked in anger, but deep down he was terrified. Nigel moved closer to Nick and towered over him, a menacing glare on his face. For a while he said nothing, and then out of nowhere he punched the Texan across the face.

"Hey!" Greg shouted.

"_You_ stay out of this, you little brat," Nigel growled towards Greg before bringing his attention back to Nick. "I heard what you said, Nicky, and frankly I don't like it. How can you say that I lied about the things I said to this pathetic wimp?" Nigel snarled, walking over to Greg and yanked him by his hair to the wall before wrapping a hand around his throat, strangling him in pure anger.

"Nigel, stop! Please!" Nick shouted in anguish when he saw his best friend struggle to breathe. And just as his eyes started to roll to the back of his head, Nigel let him crumple to the floor, gasping for a breath.

Just when he thought the psycho was finished, Nigel violently ripped Greg's broken wrist from the shackle, eliciting a strangled yelp from the younger man, and threw him across the room.

"Nigel!" Nick tugged on the chain, desperate to save his friend.

"Every single damn thing!" Nigel kicked Greg in the stomach, causing him to roll to his side. "You don't deserve Nick. _I _am his only friend; his only _brother_!" He gripped the back of Greg's shirt and hurled him into the wall, making the younger man grunt in pain. He pinned him there and started punching him in the back brutally. "Nick *punch* belongs *punch* with me *punch* and you will never *punch* ever *punch* understand that! Which is why, Nicky, I *punch* have *punch* to kill him."

"No!" Nick shouted, tears trailing down his face. He felt so helpless. Greg was going to die and he couldn't do anything…well there was one thing.

Nigel tossed Greg to the ground, the kid's breathing harsh and fast, and he began striking him with his steel-toed boot. "I have to *kick* get Nicky *kick* to understand that *kick* you don't mean anything *kick* to him!"

Nick was going to regret this, but if it could save Greg… "Nigel, stop! You're right!"

Nigel ceased his blows to Greg's body and turned around to Nick slowly. Greg struggled to inhale much needed oxygen, but looked at Nick in shock…in hurt.

"What?"

"I said you were right, Nigel. Greg is pathetic and he means nothing to me. I don't know why I didn't see it sooner. The way he follows me around like a lost puppy," Nick moved his gaze to Greg and made it look like he was telling the truth. _I'm gonna hate myself for this._

"Greg, I gotta tell you man, you're real annoying. I mean, you are just so clingy and it's getting kinda old. And you talk so damn much, I just want to rip my ears off!" Nick watched Greg's face go from pained to extreme hurt. But he had to keep going; Nigel needed to believe this was real. "And why the hell do you bring up Warrick all the time? You should know it hurts me, but you still do it anyways, why is that? But the worst thing is that you try to replace him; I mean what kind of person does that? No one, but Nigel will be able to take Warrick's place. I think you should just stop trying Greg, you're just embarrassing yourself you little freak."

That last word made Greg visibly flinch and his eyes fell to the floor. "If that's how you feel-"

"It is," Nick snapped.

"Then I don't blame you."

_Oh god what have I done._

"I'm sorry, Nick. I'll just…" Greg trailed off as he curled in on his injured body.

Nick sighed shakily as he looked up at Nigel…who was smiling. He couldn't believe he just said those things. Now Greg must really feel depressed. First Nigel put him down and making him believe things that weren't true, but now he just added onto it…and worse, it came from his own mouth.

"Finally, you understand; now we can be together. Nigel took out a knife and stroked it with his finger. Nick's heart leapt into his throat, thinking that he was gonna use that thing on Greg, but when the stalker came towards him, he was totally lost.

"W-What are you doing?"

"What do you think, Nicky? I'm doing this so we can be together forever. First I'm gonna kill you, then I'm gonna kill the little _freak-_ as you so wonderfully called him- and then me. Then you and I will be together for eternity."

Nigel bent down, the knife going for Nick's neck as Nick cowered against the wall. He couldn't believe that he and Greg were gonna die, leaving Greg to think that he was extremely hated by his best friend. This was it, this was the end.

~+CSI+~

"I can't believe they weren't there," Sara said angrily, pacing the break room. "What the hell is that bastard doing with them?"

"Sara," Grissom said, placing his hands on her shoulder to stop her from moving. "Stop; we _will_ find them."

Tears began to well up in her brown eyes and Grissom sighed, bringing her to his chest.

"We can't lose anymore, Gil. It'll ruin everyone."

Grissom remained silent and just continued to rub circles on the young woman's back.

~+8+~

Catherine had no idea what to do. How were they supposed to find the boys' if they had lead, no evidence, no nothing! Why did Nigel have to come back? Why didn't the guards from the jail take- wait, the jail. Something clicked in her mind that told her to go to the jail…that they might have answers to Nigel's whereabouts. She didn't know why, but call it a gut feeling. Grabbing her keys, she rushed out of the lab to head for the jail.

~+CSI+~

Nick expected to feel pain…but he didn't. And when he opened his eyes he saw a sight that made him scared yet proud.

"Don't touch him!" Greg unsteadily ran up behind Nigel and jumped on his back, wrapping his arms around the man's neck.

"You just won't go away, will you?" Nigel grunted as he tried shaking the younger man off.

Nick watched as the two struggled, hoping that Greg would get the upper hand, save them and get them both the hell out of there. _Come on, G, come on. You can do it, man._ And then in a split second, Nigel reeled back towards the wall and slammed Greg's small frame brutally against it. His grasp weakened and he dropped to the floor.

"No!" What really made him sick was the spot of blood that was left on the wall after Greg's head was rammed into it. That was not good. "Greg!"

"Ha, I knew it. I knew you were lying. What a fool like me to believe that you would truly understand. But no worry, we'll be together soon; it'll only be a matter of time."

Nigel got up from the floor and approached Nick with an ominous pace. He pushed his body up against the wall, but immediately knew that was a bad idea since Nigel could use it as leverage…to strangle him. And that's just what the stalker did.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Nicky," the man said as he tightened his grip on Nick's throat. He could feel his body start to fade away with every ounce of oxygen lost. Black spots appeared in front of his eyes and he knew that if a miracle didn't come now, this would be his last day on earth. It would be Greg's last day, thinking that Nick hated his guts…that they weren't brothers when they were really were. All of a sudden, the hold on his throat slackened and he could finally breathe. _What had happened?_ He blinked open his eyes and saw that Greg was looming over an unmoving Nigel. Looking closer, he knew the guy wasn't dead, but he was unconscious…for now. Greg was breathing heavily, his eyes glazed over and his body swaying. And in his hands was a wooden plank, vibrating with the tremors that ran through Greg. He didn't know how or where he got the thing, but he knew he was damn proud of the kid. Which is why he wanted Greg to escape before Nigel woke up.

"Go! Run, get out of here!" Nick shouted, but guilt overcame him when he saw Greg cringe at his booming voice.

"Greg, leave. You can get out of here, get help."

"Nick, no. I know you hate me and you want nothing to do with me, but I'm not gonna leave you here with this psycho."

"Greg, I swear to god if you don't leave right now, I'll whack you. Just leave before he wakes up!"

"Nick-"

It broke his heart to hear Greg's voice so small…so wounded. But Greg's life mattered a hellova lot more than his own. "Go!"

Hesitantly, Greg moved back towards where Nigel came in; luckily the man had been so caught up in his anger that he forgot to shut it properly. With one last wary look at the Texan, Greg disappeared up the hatch and into the main part of the basement.

And then Nigel came to. "Not today," he groaned as he pushed himself up.

Nick's heart plunged to his feet when he saw Nigel pull out a gun from his waistband and run up the steps after the young CSI.

"Nigel, no! Leave him alone! Don't touch him or I swear…"

The next couple of seconds seemed to go by so slow for Nick; he heard scuffling and struggling coming from above and then the worst sound he ever heard that was directed towards his best friend.

*Crack*

A single gunshot.

Nigel hit his target. He got Greg.

He flinched violently as tears poured out onto his face. He killed his friend; he made him leave and now…

Greg Sanders was dead.

**TBC**

** EEEEKKKK! Another cliffy…btw wasn't that a heartbreaking episode yesterday. Some people can be such bastards…like Nigel! Anyways… REVIEWS!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I'm Catherine Willows with the Las Vegas Crime Lab; I'm here to speak to the officer who was in charge the night Nigel Crane escaped."

The receptionist nodded and had another officer pat down the CSI before buzzing her in. Soon, a balding man with great green eyes, well-toned muscles, and a neatly shaven face was standing in front of her.

"Miss Willows, my name is Sgt. Brock Matthews; I was in charge when Crane got out."

"How _did_ he get out? Aren't you supposed to have top security here?

"Yes, well a fight broke out in the courtyard- and I mean a really big one- and Crane ended up beating a guard senseless, stealing the keys and getting out. By the time anyone noticed he was gone, it was too late."

"Huh." Catherine bit her lip and looked around. "Do you have any idea where he might've gone? A home? A relative?"

"Not that I know of."

"Did he talk about anything while he was here?"

"Again, I don't really know. He never cooperated with the guards…but, there was this one guy here that he always hung around with. Sewn to the hips, if you ask me."

"What's his name?"

"Mickey Bernier."

"Is he able to talk?"

"Yeah, just follow me. But I must warn you…he's kinda messed up in the head at times."

"Well, he was stuck with Nigel; that's probably the reason."

The guard chuckled as they entered the visiting area. "Hopefully you'll catch him at a time when he's somewhat normal."

"Hopefully." Because she needed straight answers and fast.

"Bernier, you got a visitor!"

Catherine sat down and stared at the man that sat in front of her behind the glass wall…and what she saw made her gasp. The guy looked exactly like Nigel; talk about obsessed fans. His hair was short and jet black while he had the same shifty looking expression behind the black rimmed glasses. Sighing, she prayed this guy would give her answers

~+CSI+~

Nick sat in complete, eerie silence. A part of him hoped that Greg shot Nigel, but he knew it was highly unlikely. Now he hoped Nigel decided to kill him. He deserved it, because he was the worse friend anyone could ask for. Greg didn't need those harsh words thrown at him. He put his face in his hands, rubbing his sore eyes with the heels of his palms and sobbed loudly.

"I'm sorry, Greg. I'm so sorry."

"Why do you cry for this pathetic little brat?"

Nick looked up and saw Nigel at the top of the trap door, carrying a limp body on his shoulder. Greg's body. And through the dim light, he could make out a dark wet patch on the side of Greg's shirt, dripping onto the floor. _Oh god._

Carelessly, Nigel let the body roll down the stairs, landing inches from Nick.

"He shouldn't have done that." Nigel spit on Greg before locking the hatch and leaving Nick in complete silence once more.

When the Texan was sure it was safe, he reached for Greg's curled unbroken hand and gently dragged him closer.

"I'm so sorry, G," he sobbed, one-handedly bringing Greg's body to his lap and resting his head on his thigh, He didn't really notice it at first, but Greg's face was cold and extremely pale- minus the numerous cuts, bruises and blood…a lot of it.

He ran his fingers through his brother's hair, wishing that Greg was still alive, wishing that he never said those horrible things, and wishing Nigel Crane was never born.

"It'll be okay, G. I love you, man, don't forget that." _A little too late to say that, Nick._

For what seemed like an eternity, Nick sat in silence, stroking Greg's tangled hair unconsciously. All of a sudden, call him crazy, he felt like Greg might've shifted. Frowning, he looked down at the younger man.

"Greg?"

Maybe he was just imagining things; the pain getting to him.

"N-Nick?"

"Oh my god."

~+CSI+~

"Tell me about your relationship with Nigel Crane."

"Why should I, pig?"

"Because if you don't you'll be charged with withholding information on a federal case and accessory to a kidnapping."

"What? Whoa, whoa, whoa. I've been stuck here for two years. I haven't done anything wrong."

"Then tell me what you know about Crane. Seems you've been taking an interest into him. Same hair, same glasses…obsessed much?"

Mickey bit his bottom lip and thought for a moment before talking. He told the CSI about how Nigel sought him out, helped him and how they became some sort of team.

"Was he planning on escaping?"

"Yeah; he would talk about it a lot. He said there were these two guys he needed to deal with on the outside. I don't remember their names, but one of them he really hated…name started with an E or a G…yeah a G and rhymes with egg."

"Greg?" Catherine clenched her hands.

"Yeah, that's the name. All he said about him, though, was that the guy was gonna regret living."

"Did he tell you any of his plans to…to kill this guy?"

"No, not really, but he did show me this kind of outline- a blueprint you might call it- of some house he was gonna keep him at."

Catherine's heart leapt. This could be the thing she'd been hoping for.

"And where is this blueprint?"

"Some dumb ass guard confiscated it; thought it was some kinda plan to get out of here."

Catherine nodded and stood up. "Thanks."

Blueprints. She had finally caught a break.

~+CSI+~

"G, can you hear me, man?"

The smaller man whimpered, a look of sheer pain flashing across his face. Nick hastily searched for where the bullet had penetrated and when he found it, he pressed his hands over the bloody wound.

"Come on, bud, can you hear me?"

"H-hurts."

"I know kiddo. I'm gonna get you out of here. Just hang on." _He couldn't believe Greg was still clinging onto life. He didn't think he could be any more proud of the kid._ "Just hang on." Suddenly, he felt Greg move, though, his eyes were still closed, and he watched as his friend reached into his pocket. _What was he doing?_ And when he pulled out a knife, Nick was surprised…and he was wrong. He _could_ be more proud of Greg. He was extremely proud and he knew that in the earlier years he knew Greg, he really underestimated him.

"Greg-"

"Gr-grabbed this b-before he s-shot m-me," Greg whispered as he weakly lifted up an arm, waiting for Nick to take the weapon. Frowning, the Texan did and hid it under his leg. He knew _exactly_ what he was gonna do with it.

"U-Use it…for-for yourself…g-get…out…of…here," Greg's words started coming out slower and slurred and it was scaring Nick. "I…won't…m-make…don't…d's'rve to live…w'rthl'ss."

"No Greg, you are not worthless. Listen to me, you stay awake, you hear? Come on, buddy keep talking to me; keep trying, bud."

"G'nna…emb'rr's…myself."

That hit Nick hard.

"T-Thought…we…were friends…g'ss not." Greg shivered and coughed violently. "D'n't bl'me you….b'tt'r off…without m-me…I'm s'rry, Nick." With that, Greg's body sagged and his breathing became barely audible.

"Greg? Greg, please don't do this. I'm sorry I said those things; none of it was true. Greg? Greggo, please don't leave me alone. I'm not better off without you, please wake up! Greg!" Nick shook Greg's shoulder gently in hopes to wake the kid up, but when nothing happened he pressed his finger against the younger man's neck, praying for a pulse. Thankfully, there was, but Nick knew if they didn't get out now, there wouldn't be one much longer. He ran his hand up Greg's face and felt a wave of guilt and concern when he felt the sudden intense heat radiating off the kid's body…something that hadn't been there a moment ago. The fever was definitely not helping their situation.

They had to find a way out of here. Nick tugged fiercely on the chain, but knew his hand would have to be broken so he could slide it through easier. Once that was over, he'd just have one more thing to worry about…Nigel.

He was really scared of doing this, but he had to…to save Greg…and the only way was to punch the wall. Fuck, this was gonna hurt. Swallowing tightly, he shut his eyes, placed his unchained hand on Greg's cheek and he flung his hand against the wall. Again and again and again, before it started going numb. Tears trailed down his cheek and wished for it to be over. Finally, he heard cracks every time he hit the wall. Bones were breaking…good thing, because he didn't think he could keep going. Cradling his hand to his chest, he cried until all the tears in his body were gone.

"God dammit!"

After about five minutes, the pain seemed to ease and he was finally ready to take the shackle off. Biting his lip, he slowly and carefully brought his hand to the hole and pulled it through. In two minutes of cursing, crying, pain and more cursing, the cuff was finally off. Sobbing in relief, he looked down to check on his friend…whose breathing was even shallower and Nick knew it was getting bad. But…now to kill Nigel.

~+CSI+~

Catherine brought the blueprint back to the lab and looked at it with the rest of the team

"This looks similar to the house we were at," stated Grissom with a frown.

"Exactly what I thought, except there is this one extra dimension here," Catherine said.

Grissom put on his glasses and inspected the little square box hanging off the rest of the house.

"That's a room with a trap door. Nigel never left the house and neither did Greg and Nick. They've been there all along."

~+CSI+~

When Nick heard the hatch open, he made it look like he was still cuffed and hid the knife further under his leg, but kept a firm grip on the handle.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

"You killed him Nigel," Nick said lying through his teeth. "I'm sorry I betrayed you though. I should've known how defenseless and weak he was."

"Really?" Nigel said skeptically. "You aren't pulling my leg again, are you?"

"No. I've been so stupid to lie to you. I'm so sorry." Nick began sobbing…but not for Nigel…for Greg. But the stalker didn't know that.

Nigel's face softened as he sighed. "I could never stay mad at you, Nicky- my brother."

"Thank you so much; I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"Aww, Nicky, please don't cry."

"C-Can I have a hug?" Nick felt disgusted asking a question like that to a psycho.

"Of course, that would be nice."

~+CSI+~

Catherine, Grissom, Sara and practically all of LVPD were speeding through Las Vegas, heading back to the place where this whole nightmare started. They just hoped they weren't too late; who knows what the hell that twisted bastard did to their boys.

"How much longer?" Sara said tensely.

Grissom looked over at her in concern before replying. "Ten minutes out."

Sara returned her gaze to the road. "Drive faster."

As told, Grissom pressed on the gas, hoping that it'd be fast enough.

~+CSI+~

Nick readied himself as Nigel moved in closer. His grip on the knife tightened; he was ready for the kill. Nigel knelt down with a smile, but not before shoving Greg off Nick's lap. It made the Texan angrier, but he had to keep it together…just for a few more seconds.

"I'm so sorry, Nigel. I can't believe I've been so blind."

"I forgive you, Nick." With that, Nigel wrapped his arms around Nick's shoulders.

And then the Texan knew it was time to strike. With one swift movement, he plunged the knife into Nigel's stomach and held it there firmly. The man gasped and looked at Nick in betrayal…but it could never beat the look of hurt and betrayal from Greg's eyes.

"I will _never_ forgive you," Nick growled. He dragged the weapon upwards into Nigel's chest, causing the man to gurgle when blood started flowing out of his mouth. His breathing became forced and choked and his body became frozen with shock. With one last thrust, Nick pushed the dying Nigel to the ground and watched momentarily as he fought for his breath.

"And we will _never_ be brothers."

Shakily, he pushed himself to a standing position and kicked Nigel in the head, knocking him out instantly. "You sick son of a bitch."

Without another look at the creep, he took a deep breath and knelt down next to Greg…but something wasn't right…well nothing has been since Nigel escaped jail…but…oh, no. Greg wasn't breathing.

"Nononono, Greggo please don't- don't do this. We're gonna get out of here." And just when he thought couldn't get any worse, Greg's heart wasn't beating…there was no pulse.

"No. Nonono! Greg! Greg please, please, no!" Nick knew that he had no time to cry. Who knew how long Greg had been like this since he fell unconscious ten minutes ago. He needed to get him out of there and to immediate medical attention. He figured he had about four minutes or Greg would never be waking up again.

Crying, he carefully scooped up Greg's limp body bridal style and carried him, on wobbly legs, up the stairs and into the basement. The place where this whole mess started for the two of them. From then on, he felt like he was on autopilot; he would barely take his eyes off Greg's pale, expressionless façade and his tears fell onto the younger man's face and slid down until they disappeared. Finally, he reached the storm door and relief washed over him.

"Almost there, G, You're gonna be okay." He brought Greg's head closer to his chest, cradling it in his good hand. He quickly walked up the stairs and into the open air at last…and it was raining. Just what they needed. Greg's hair instantly matted down to his head, but the rain on his face didn't affect him. Nick had two minutes before Greg wouldn't make it and just when he was about to place him down to do CPR, he heard the ever so sweet sound of sirens and screeching tires.

"Oh, thank god."

Nick made his way around to the front of the house and what he saw made him overjoyed. Tears off happiness welled in his eyes when he saw his team running towards them.

"We did it, Greggo. We're gonna survive."

But Nick's adrenaline was starting to wear off and his legs became weak. In a matter of seconds, he fell to his knees, carefully laying Greg on the ground before welcoming darkness. The big question was, though, _was_ Greg gonna survive? And not just physically, but mentally, too. Nick just prayed he could be forgiven, because he didn't think he could live knowing Greg thought he was hated by his best friend…his blood brother. He hoped Greg would live so he could tell him that.

**TBC**

** Not much of a cliffhanger, but yayy! They were found…but will Greg survive? Will **

**Nick and Greg's friendship survive? Stay tuned to find out. REVIEWS! BTW any **

**mistakes (medical, grammar, spelling) are mine.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews- so in return, here's the next chapter!**

_"Nick? Can you hear me? God, what happened to his hand?"_

_ "We found Crane. He's dead."_

_ "Good."_

What were those voices? Who did they belong to? Well he didn't really care; his head hurt, his body hurt and his hand was on fire. Why was that? Ugh, his head felt like it was going to explode! But he had to open his eyes; he needed to see where the hell he was. It took a few seconds, but he finally managed to open his eyes to a slit.

"Nicky? Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

That sounded like…

"Grissom?"

"Yeah. Are you feeling okay?"

"Not really; my head is killing me."

"You have a concussion."

"From what? Where the hell am I?"

He looked at his surroundings and found that he was lying on a gurney near a house. He could hear sirens and police radios crackling and that's when it hit him.

"Where is he? Where's Greg." He looked at his boss and saw pure dread in his eyes. That just made him more petrified. "He's…he's not dead is he? Please tell me he's not dead, Gris."

Instead of responding, the older man just looked away from Nick and towards the group of paramedics on the ground next to a second ambulance. Nick followed his gaze and the color in face drained immediately. He made to scramble off of the gurney, but Grissom pushed him back down.

"You need stay flat; you have a really bad concussion and a few cracked ribs."

"I don't care. I have to see Greg…please."

Grissom sighed and helped Nick to a stand. Once the Texan was sure he wasn't gonna pass out, he rushed over to where he saw three paramedics crowded around a prone body.

"Still no pulse, keeping going."

Nick couldn't believe Greg needed that many paramedics. One was pumping air into his unresponsive lungs, another was administering CPR- and he looked like he'd been going at it for a while- and the last one was putting pressure bandages on the endlessly bleeding gunshot wound. No matter what they were doing, they were all trying frantically to save Greg's life.

"Oh fuck," Nick breathed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Oh shit, Greg."

The younger man's face looked peaceful…too peaceful to look alive or even sleeping. It was extremely pale and now that they were no longer in a dimly lit area, Nick could clearly see the rainbow of bruises all over Greg's body. And since the paramedics cut, what was left of, Greg's shirt, the injuries were more visible. He noticed Sara was kneeling next to Greg's body, squeezing his limp hand tightly and begging him to wake up. Tears ran down her face and when she looked up at Nick, he knew it wasn't looking good for his best friend. It might've been too late.

"Oh god." He couldn't breathe; he felt completely appalled from seeing Greg's battered body; seeing Nigel's handiwork made him want to puke…and that's just what he did. He bent forward and let all the contents of his stomach onto the ground. He felt a hand on his back, but vaguely made note of it. He felt too lightheaded and sick to care. And before he could do anything else, darkness claimed him once again.

~+CSI+~

When he opened his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time, all he could see was white. Was he dead? He kind of hoped so, because he didn't deserve to live; not after what he did to Greg. But when a blurry face came into view and the faint sound of a siren penetrated his hearing, he realized he was in an ambulance.

"Nick?"

He followed the voice and found Brass sitting next to him with a worried look in his eyes.

"Jim?" He was the last person he would've expected to be with him. "What's going on?"

"We're bringing you to the hospital. Your concussion is moderate, but the EMT's aren't taking any chances."

Nick lifted his head up and felt the nasal cannula, snaked around his ears, pull. "Is Greg okay?"

Brass remained silent, but had an uneasy look on his face.

"Jim. What's going on with Greg? Please tell me."

"Nick-"

"Please." If Brass was really unsure on whether to tell him or not, then he knew it'd be bad news.

"We had to send him off on in a medevac; it's not looking good."

"W-What do you mean?"

Brass pursed his lips and sighed. "They couldn't revive his heart with CPR and they couldn't wait any longer for a second ambulance. The chopper was already there and he needed go immediately. They had to use a defibrillator. I'm not even sure if he was alive when they took off. The dehydration, the gunshot wound and probably a bunch of other things- not to mention unknown internal injuries- are taking a critical toll on his body."

"Oh god…what- what are his chances?"

"Forty percent."

"That's not good enough."

"I know, but that's all I could get out of the paramedics before they had to leave."

"Why am I not there with him? He's alone and probably terrified," Nick said, trying to push himself off the bed.

"Hey, you need to calm down. He's not alone; Sara went with him."

Nick relaxed, but not completely. "God, the things I said to him. If those were the last words he heard from my mouth, I don't know what I'd do to myself."

"What do you mean?"

Nick yawned, the meds starting to drag him back to the world of darkness. He closed his eyes and let his head lull on the pillow.

"I h-hurt him…he's never gonna forgive me…don't blame him." With that, sleep overtook Nick and left Brass more confused than ever.

~+CSI+~

"Oh my god."

"You can say that again."

Catherine and Grissom stood in the hidden room, cameras in hand and shock on their faces. The scene before them was horrifying and they didn't want to think about what had happened there. Blood. That was what they saw the most. In both secreted rooms, there was blood on the floor and blood on the walls. There was also puke and worst of all, a cattle brand.

"Son a bitch," Catherine muttered as she took quick photo of Nigel before David inspected the body.

"Cause of death is obvious. Knife inflicted wound to the stomach and dragged up to his chest. Death wasn't immediate, judging by the amount of blood on the ground so…he suffered.

"Good." Catherine said angrily.

"TOD: fifteen minutes ago."

"That wasn't too long before we got here," Grissom frowned.

"Do you think one of the boys killed him?"

"We'll have to find out. Bag the knife so we can get it back to the lab."

Catherine nodded and the two of them processed the rest of the gruesome scene before leaving the place behind forever. They prayed that things up in the air and in the ambulance were going okay. They just wanted their boys back.

~+CSI+~

Sara swallowed thickly as she watched Greg's bruised chest rise and fall with the help of the paramedic who was pumping air into his lungs. He couldn't breathe on his own-he almost could stay_ alive_ on his own and it was scaring her to death. She couldn't believe this was happening; Greg might not make it. The chances were slim and the EMT's weren't positive the kid would even make it to the hospital.

"Oh god, Greg." She grabbed his cold hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb. "Don't quit on us; don't quit on me. Please keep fighting, Greg…please."

She reached her other hand out and ran her fingers through his blood caked hair…just like she did after he was beat up. She remembered that day; the anger and fear when she saw him lying there with no medic. She thought he was dead. It made her want to cry when he struggled to speak and breath through the pain at the same time; she wanted the punch the bastards that did it to him. Greg didn't deserve that…no one did. Suddenly, a dreaded sound filled her ears.

"He's going into V-FIB again!"

Sara was pushed back against the wall and forced to only watch as the paddles touched Greg's bare skin, lifted him up for a second before his body fell back to the bed.

"He's back, but I don't know for how long. His blood pressure is dropping already."

"I'll keep the paddles ready just in case," the other paramedic said.

Sara sat in shock before sniffing and wiping the oncoming tears from her eyes. She almost lost Greg and she wasn't sure if 'almost' was the word she should use.

~+CSI+~

Greg crashed again as soon as they landed and while Greg was being wheeled away, the paramedic was sitting over him, trying to keep his heart pumping. Sara tried following as far as she could, but was forced to stay behind and fill out some papers. Not long after, Nick's ambulance pulled in and he was wheeled away to get a CAT scan and fix the fractured ribs. Sara's hands were trembling violently and she grew frustrated when the words, she had begun writing on the paper, were coming out messy.

Twenty minutes later found Sara pacing, the papers unfinished and no news on either of the boys. Brass had left to finish up with the crime scene and she was hoping that Grissom and Catherine would hurry the hell up. She did think she could deal with this alone.

Her wish came true when both supervisors rushed in through the doors, frantic looks on their faces.

"Sara," Catherine breathed as she hugged the smaller woman. "How's Greg?"

That just broke her; she couldn't hold the tears in any longer. She tried to be brave in front of Greg, but now it was just too much. Her knees collapsed under her and she slowly fell to the ground, Catherine still holding her comfortingly.

"Sara, what happened?" Catherine whispered, rubbing circles on Sara's back.

"Greg, he…he flat-lined twice; when we got off the chopper he wasn't alive. Oh god, we can't lose him, Cath. Not after Warrick."

"We aren't gonna lose him. Greg's a fighter."

And for the next couple of hours, the three waited anxiously for news. But the longer they waited, the more agitated and worried they got.

"No news is good news, though, right?" Sara whispered.

"I hope so," Grissom said, rubbing her arm.

It was five-thirty in the morning- ten and a half hours after they found their boy's in the horrible conditions that they were in- and both Sara and Catherine were sleeping when a doctor came out.

"Family for Nick Stokes."

Grissom nudged the two women and they stood up eagerly, walking over to the older looking man.

"My name is Dr. Crowley. You're here for Nick Stokes?"

"Yes," Grissom said. "I'm the first name on his medical contact; Gil Grissom. How is he?"

"Nick obtained a moderate concussion, nothing too serious, a few broken ribs and some bruises. The hand I was a bit concerned about and we nearly had to staple some bones back together, though it should heal within five months. I would like to keep him overnight to have him watched, but other than that, I feel he should make a quick recovery."

Grissom nodded in relief.

"What about Greg Sanders?" Catherine asked worriedly.

"I can't answer that for you; I'm not his doctor," Dr. Crowley said sympathetically. "But I'll have a nurse let you know when his surgery is over."

"He's still in surgery?" Sara said incredulously.

"That's what I've been told, Miss. His condition is critical and his chances for survival are slim."

"Alright…can we see Nick?" Sara said quietly.

"Sure; follow me."

They slowly made their way down the hall, towards the emergency room unit, each wondering what they were gonna tell Nick about Greg. Maybe not so much _what_, but _how?_ Greg was like a little brother to Nick- his exact words. He just never told Greg that…and they hoped he would get a chance to.

"Here we are; he's under some light medications right now for the head pain, but he should wake up within the next twenty or thirty minutes. If you need anything, don't hesitate to press the call button. As for Mr. Sanders, I promise I'll send a nurse or his doctor here to give you the diagnosis."

"Thanks doctor."

Grissom turned to his CSI and sighed in exhaustion. It had been a long two days…he couldn't believe they had only been missing for 48 hours. It had felt so much longer than that. Checking the Texan over, he figured it hadn't been too bad- it could've been worse…then again, he wasn't sure how the man was mentally. He was worried what this situation did to _all_ of them psychologically. He scrubbed a hand through his beard as he went to go sit down with the other two. Catherine was sitting next to Nick, stroking his arm while Sara just kept a hand on his shoulder, but staring into nothingness.

She had been scarred- _traumatized_- because of what she had seen in the helicopter. One her best friends- a kid that was like a brother to her- had _died._ And not just once, either. That was enough to make a person scared to speak or do anything for that matter. He dragged a chair next to the silent woman and placed a hand on her knee. Sara didn't look over at him, but she rested her head on his shoulder, accepting the comfort. Now, all they had to do was wait for news on their youngest…but waiting was never one of their strong points.

It was maybe six-fifteen, the sun still not quite raised yet, and Nick began to show signs of waking up.

"Nick? Sweetie, can you hear me?" Catherine whispered soothingly.

The Texan's forehead creased and he groaned weakly before his eyes squinted open.

"Nick?" Grissom said.

"Huh? Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital; you're going to be fine."

Nick frowned, thinking of something important, but he couldn't remember. He looked around the room and realized that someone was missing. Warrick was…because he was dead, but there was someone else. And then it all came back to him with two names. Nigel Crane and Greg Sanders.

"Nigel."

"Dead."

"W-What about Greg is he gonna be okay? Brass, he said the chances were forty percent. Is it true?"

Catherine moved closer and sighed unhappily. "We aren't sure yet. He was still in surgery when we came to see you."

"Son of a bitch, G…well, have you gotten _anything?_"

"Not-"

"Excuse me, I was told to come here to give the update on Greg Sanders? My name is Dr. Kathy Magee, his doctor."

The team turned towards the door and saw a petite brunette standing there with a tired look on her face.

"Yes, that's us," Grissom said. He glanced at Nick, whose face had gone pale before continuing. "How is he?"

Dr. Magee sighed dejectedly and that gave the team a warning that something bad happened.

"He can't be dead. Please tell me he's not-" Nick started frantically.

"Please, sit," she gestured to Grissom and Sara who had stood up earlier.

Nick was about to burst out in tears. There was going to be bad news, he just knew it.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

**TBC**

** OMG our poor GREGGO! How could I do that to him? :'( and how could I do that to you? Leaving you off with a cliffy? I'm so evil. Anyways, hoped you liked it, and there will be more to come: we will see Greg's fate? Did he make it? Stay tuned! REVIEWS! :) (PS. Any mistakes r mine!)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"First off I need to tell you that Mr. Sanders crashed on the table twice. Now, we managed to revive him, but we won't know how the lack of oxygen, from the many times his heart stopped, affected his brain until he wakes up…_if_ he wakes up."

"If?" Nick paled more than the sheets.

"Yes, that's the other thing I have to mention. Greg went into a coma and… his body is failing to hold up on his own- more so his heart- therefore resulting in him needing life support."

_Fucking life support!? _Nick clenched his fists in anger. God, if Nigel wasn't dead, he would've beaten the shit out of him. Life support meant slim chances; and slim chances meant that there was a possibility Greg wouldn't walk out of this hospital.

"Later on, if he doesn't show signs of improvement, then I will give immediate family the choice to pull the plug or not."

Nick wanted to throw-up. The thought of giving up on Greg was something he never wanted to happen. Something he would _never_ even _think_ of doing. Greg was a fighter and he'd get past this; bounce right back to his goofy self…right?

"Now, on to the other stuff," Dr. Magee sighed heavily; this was gonna be devastating for them. The guy they operated on was just a kid and it seemed like they were a family. No family wanted to hear what she was going to reveal. "Alright, Greg sustained five broke ribs, one of which punctured his left lung. Now we repaired the lung, but again, he's not holding up on his own. We have him on a ventilator to help him breathe. The gunshot wound he got was more serious; it penetrated his spleen, which is why he bled out so much. Unfortunately, we had to remove his spleen and we transfused about two pints of blood back into his body. And, sadly, the wound got badly infected resulting in a dangerously high fever. We have him on cooling blankets now, plus antibiotics, but if it rises anymore, then we have to put him in an ice bath. I also understand that he was sick before the kidnapping?" The doctor looked up at the team and frowned sadly. They were all as white as a ghost; they looked like they were about to puke…and cry. Their eyes were red and she knew they wouldn't be able to take much more. But it was her job to tell them.

"U-Umm, yeah," Catherine stuttered. "He had a cold."

"Okay; well, two days in- what I heard was- a dirty, musty room did not help his case. He extracted pneumonia. Now, it's not too bad, but we are still keeping a close eye on it. There was also moderately bruised kidneys and dehydration; second degree burns, a severe concussion, an inflamed throat and a broken wrist. Two broken fingers, chafed skin around his wrists, severe bruising over 95% of his body and multiple lacerations." Dr. Magee looked up again and found the other patient with tears trailing down his cheeks, while the two women were sobbing and the older man just had a completely stunned look on his face.

"And I know you don't want more bad news, but I'm not positive…I'm not sure he'll wake up."

"What?" Nick said. This week was just getting worse and worse.

"It's just my professional opinion, and frankly anything could happen, but…his condition is too severe and I'm not sure his body can handle it."

"Oh god; Oh my god, Greggo...c-can I…can I sit with him?"

"Unfortunately, no, because his immune system isn't strong enough, we can't have any unknown anomalies into the sterilized room. I can, however, allow you to see him through the window if you'd like."

"Yes," Nick said immediately. "Please…I...I just need to see him."

"Alright," Dr. Magee said standing up. "I'll send a nurse to bring you to him when he's all settled in."

"Um…a-alright, thanks," Catherine whispered. She turned to Nick and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was stiff and his face was as white as a ghost.

"Nicky? Are you gonna be okay?"

The Texan scoffed a sarcastic laugh. "No; my best friend is practically dead and it's all because of me."

The blonde frowned. "What are you talking about, Hun?"

But before Nick could answer, a nurse knocked on the doorframe and smiled sadly. "Mr. Sanders is ready, if you'd like to see him."

They three looked at each other before nodding. They wanted to see their youngest family member, but truth was, they were terrified of what they were gonna see. If the doctor's descriptions were bad, just thinking about the image made their hearts hammer against their chests painfully.

~+CSI+~

"Oh my god," Sara gasped in devastation.

"What? What is it?" Nick asked worriedly.

"Nick, maybe you shouldn't-"

"No! I _need_ to see him."

"Glancing at Grissom, Sara gave in and let Catherine wheel Nick to the window.

"Oh, no," Nick stood up shakily and plastered his hand to the window. "No, Greggo."

Tears began to form as he took in the sight before him; it was literally heart-breaking. Tubes and wires. That's all he saw; and underneath those tubes and wires, he saw a shrunken, pale body lying completely motionless in the bed.

"Greg."

His face was a sickening color of green, black, blue, purple and yellow, but a thick coat of sweat was clearly visible. Two blue tubes ran from an intimidating machine, connecting to a single white tube that was running from Greg's open mouth. A long piece of tape ran underneath his nose, across his cheeks and out of sight behind his head, holding the tube firmly in place. Monitoring stickers were placed on his bare chest and his temples showing a slowly beating heart and nonexistent brain activity. If it weren't for this situation, Sara would've been blushing, looking at Greg's well-toned muscles. There was a large bandage wrapped around his head, covering his, thankfully, washed hair, revealing tufts blonde curls instead of red. Another thick bandage was wrapped around his midriff, stopping right underneath his chest…his chest that was barely moving. His wrists were bandaged as well, except for his left one which had a white cast, propped up on a nearby pillow. Nick's gaze moved lower and noticed that two of Greg's fingers were also bandaged. _When did his fingers break? Oh god, Greg, I'm so sorry, man._ A blood pressure cuff was wrapped around his bicep, and on the monitor they could see how low it was. _Dangerously_ low. And worse, whatever area of his body that wasn't covered in bandages was bruise after bruise after bruise. He looked practically like he had after the beating…just five times worse.

Nick's legs weakened and he collapsed back into the chair. _Why didn't I protect him? God, I'm such a horrible brother._

"Nicky?" Catherine said.

"Oh god. This is my fault; all my fault. He's not trying, because of me, what have I done?"

The two supervisors looked at each other in concern and confusion.

"Nick, what are you talking about?" Grissom said.

"Nothing. Never mind."

Grissom frowned. He wasn't gonna push Nick now; the kid was under a lot of pressure and shock. Maybe later.

"Come on," Catherine said calmly. "Why don't we go back to your room so you can get some rest?"

"No, I'm staying here. I'm not leaving Greg alone."

"There's nothing you can do here," Sara persuaded.

"I said I'm staying….here."

"Fine," Catherine huffed. "But if the doctor says you need to rest, you're going back. No arguing."

"Whatever."

The three other CSI's looked glanced at each other before looking at their youngest. What was going on between the two brothers?

"I'm gonna head back to the lab with Grissom," Catherine said before crouching next to Nick. "He'll be okay, Nicky, I promise."

She waited for a response, for Nick to turn his head and said something, but he just stared straight ahead with a blank expression in his eyes. Sighing, she patted his knees as she stood up to leave.

"Call me if anything changes," she whispered to Sara.

Sara nodded and with that, the two older CSI's left the hospital quietly; they prayed both their boys would make it through this. When they disappeared, Sara looked down at Nick who was completely still.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee, do you want some?"

Silence.

"Nick?"

"I'm fine."

Taking a deep breath, Sara looked at her friend sadly. The man was heart-broken; his little brother was in a coma and there was a chance he wouldn't wake up. What if Greg died? What would that do to Nick? God, she didn't want to see that happen; Greg had to keep fighting. He just had to.

~+CSI+~

He didn't know he'd fallen asleep until he felt someone shaking his shoulder. He knew it was Nigel. He knew that being at the hospital, saving Greg and escaping Nigel's little hideout was all a dream. He just wanted it all to go away. He ignored the touch and burrowed further into his state of sleep.

Dr. Magee looked at the Texan in sympathy as she watched him sleep in his wheelchair. The poor man looked exhausted and her heartstrings were pulled when she saw how devoted he was to his brother. She knew they were actually teammates, but as her many years of being a doctor in the middle of Las Vegas, cops were practically a family when it came to them getting injured. Maybe she could let him in for a little while; yeah, he deserved to sit with him and let the kid know he wasn't alone. Walking up to him, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and shook it lightly. He groaned, but that was it; he made no attempt to wake up.

"Nick? Nick, wake up."

"Huh!? What's wrong? Is Greg okay!?" Nick jumped up and looked through the window. When he saw his friend in the same state he was in earlier, he relaxed and wiped a weary hand down his face.

"Dr. Magee, what's going on?"

"Nothing's wrong, Mr. Stokes; I was wondering if you'd like to go in and sit with Greg for a little while."

"I-I thought you said-"

"I know what I said, but I think if we get you in some sterile scrubs, gloves, and a mask, we can let you go in."

Nick let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Yeah, I would like that very much."

So, in seven minutes, Nick was standing outside Greg's room, sterilized and eager to sit with his friend.

"Alright; I'll have a nurse come get you when time is up, because, like it or not, you need to rest."

Nick nodded, though, not really paying attention. He only cared about sitting with Greg right now. And when he finally was, he felt happier than he had in days. He scooted the chair closer and, while minding the many wires, he took Greg's freezing cold hand in his. And he was wearing rubber gloves, so if Greg was that cold, it was bad.

"Damn G, it's like you stepped out of a freezer."

Of course, there was no response; not even a change in the brainwaves. Nick smiled sadly and gripped Greg's hand tighter, hoping to make it warmer.

"Oh god, Greggo, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry man. None of this should've happened to you; you didn't need to be dragged into this mess. And those things I said to you, god, none of it was true, alright? You're my brother, so please don't ever forget that, okay Greg?" Nick sniffed and shakily, but carefully stroked Greg's cheek with the back of his fingers. "It'll be okay, G, I promise you that."

Suddenly, there was a loud beep by his side that made him jump in fear. Looking up, he noticed that the single line in Greg's brainwaves became mountains. Frowning, he looked back down and squeezed Greg's hand in excitement.

"Greg? Greggo, can you hear me man?"

The brainwaves moved again and Nick smiled. "You can; thank god, buddy. Don't worry I'm right-"

Then, out of nowhere, Greg's heart began to beat rapidly…like he was scared. Something was wrong; was it because he was there? His breathing became harsh and just as he stood up, a nurse came rushing in, pushing Nick out of the way. As she assessed Greg, trying to calm him down, she turned to Nick and smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, you're gonna have to leave."

Swallowing thickly, he backed out of the room in shock. He ran his hand through his hair and watched as Greg's heart slowed to a normal pace. "Shit."

~+CSI+~

Catherine lifted two prints off of the knife and ran it through AFIS. In seconds, two names popped up: Nick's and Nigel's.

_But who killed Nigel? _It was possible that Nigel could've committed suicide, but that was doubtful considering the condition of Greg. Nigel wasn't done with the kid. She'd just have to ask Nick what had happened during those mere minutes before they arrived. She had some answers though; Nigel's prints were on Nick's gun as well as gunshot residue on the psycho's sleeves. Catherine held up the container that held the bullet that'd been removed from Greg during his surgery and she tried not to think about whose blood was coating the metal as she cleaned it off. It matched the .45 gun and she knew that Nigel had shot Greg. After she was done, she moved onto their clothes; Greg's were the worst. His shirt was covered in dirt and blood. So much blood. Nigel really wanted to kill him. How could he do something so cruel to an innocent kid? The psychotic bastard.

~+CSI+~

**1 Week Later**

Nick was sitting outside the window staring in at his unconscious friend. He'd been that way since the day he'd been forced to leave Greg's room after his heart started beating crazily…because he was scared of Nick. He traumatized the kid and now he was paying for it. He'd already been discharged from the hospital days ago and the team had urged him to go home and get some rest, but he refused. He wasn't leaving Greg alone.

"Nick?"

The Texan looked up and found himself looking at his team who had concerned looks on their faces. Nick wasn't looking too good from their eyes. His face was pale with a five o' clock stubble; his eyes were dark with guilt and pain with purple circles underneath them.

"Yeah?" Nick said, returning his gaze back to motionless Greg.

"You need to go home and rest, eat something. You look horrible," Sara pleaded.

"Gee, thanks for the compliment," Nick replied in a monotone voice.

"Come on, Nicky you aren't thinking str-"

"I'm not leaving! Just go, alright? I'm fine!"

"Excuse me?"

Everyone went quiet and turned around to find Dr. Magee staring at them with a forlorn look on her face.

Nick stood up and walked up to her, immediately knowing something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"

"Why don't you all sit d-"

"No," Nick growled, not caring what anyone else had to say. "What's. Wrong. I know something isn't going right, so don't try and sugarcoat it."

Dr. Magee closed her eyes and exhaled. The poor man was really scared for Greg and she knew this news wasn't gonna do any good. For his emotional or physical health.

"I had some tests done on Greg and I have some…bad news."

"What could be worse than what he's going through right now?" Nick shouted.

"I know, but…things are getting worse for him. Nothing's improving…his health is deteriorating and he's in pain. I think it may be time to-"

"No. Don't even say it. We aren't giving up on him; he'll get through it."

"I'm sorry, but only his immediate family has the decision of whether or not to let him go. Where are his parents? Didn't someone call them?"

"No…uh, Greg's parents died in a car crash when he was eight and his grandfather passed away a few years ago…he put me down as his family," Grissom whispered.

Nick remembered the day like it was yesterday. The day Greg found out his grandfather died; the kid adored the man, was raised by him and just like that, a heart attack took him away.

_*Flashback*_

_He heard sniffing coming from the locker room as he passed it. Frowning, Nick backtracked and poked his head in the doorway. What he saw made his heart break. Greg's head was down, his hands folded in front of him and his phone clasped tightly in between._

_ "Greg?" _

_ The man jerked up and looked at the Texan and he could tell Greg had been crying…or very close to it. His face was pale and his eyes were red-rimmed with unshed tears. Greg tried to smile convincingly so he could get Nick to leave him to mourn in peace, but he ended up failing._

_ "Hey Nick. How's it going?" Greg got up on shaky legs._

_ Ignoring the question, Nick moved further into the room. "You alright, G?"_

_ "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine. What make you think I'm not fine?" Greg said nervously._

_ "Greg, I can tell when you're lying…and you're lying…and your hands are shaking like crazy."_

_ "No they're not," Greg said, quickly hiding them behind his back. _Fuck not now; please not now. Stop freaking shaking!

_"G," Nick said in a firm tone. He wasn't gonna back down._

_ "Nick, I'm fine. Nothing is wrong alright? Don't worry about me," Greg made to leave the room, trying to brush past the Texan, but Nick blocked his path, placing his hand on Greg's chest and holding him back._

_ "Nick, let me through. Ecklie is on my ass right now about some evidence since half the lab techs are out sick and if I don't get them done, I'm gonna lose my job, so just…" Greg tried moving again, but Nick held his ground, keeping his eyes on Greg. He knew something was wrong with the kid and he'd be damned if he let Greg walk around all depressed. Greg being sad and _not_ bouncy was something he never wanted to see._

_ "Nick!"_

_ "Greg, tell me what's going on."_

_ "Nothing's going on! Why are you assuming something is wrong?" Greg was starting to get agitated and Nick's constant prodding on his situation wasn't helping. He didn't think he could hold it in any longer. If he could just get past the man… "Everything is just…" but he couldn't. Greg's chest heaved with harsh breaths before he broke down in tears and his knees weakening. Nick quickly caught Greg around his waist and carefully lowered him down to the floor._

_ "Come on Greggo, tell me what happened. You're scaring me man."_

_ "M-My grandfather he…I just found out that h-he had a heart attack…he's gone…oh god, I have no one left."_

_ Nick nearly broke down in tears himself as he heard this. The poor kid thought no one cared about him? Who the fuck told him that? He tightened his grip on the man he considered a little brother and he felt Greg do the same; hold on to him like a lifeline._

_ "It'll be alright, G, I promise. You're not alone; you have me, you have the team, we're your family…and you're like the annoying brother I never had."_

_ Greg choked a laughed which made Nick feel a little better. "I promise, man, you'll be alright. You need anything, I'll be there for you; the whole team will." He rubbed circles on the man's trembling back and pulled him closer, smelling the faint scent of the kid's beloved blue Hawaiian coffee on his shirt mixed with sandalwood. He smiled faintly at this as he comforted Greg for nearly ten minutes. That's when he realized Greg was _his_ family as well. The CSI team was one giant family and he'd never let Greg forget that…ever._

_*End Flashback*_

Nick broke out of his trance just in time to hear Dr. Magee finish her sentence.

"…choice, Mr. Grissom. You decide whether to pull the plug or not."

Nick's eyes went wide as he turned to Grissom angrily. "I swear to god, you better not say yes or I'll _never_ forgive you. Greg will live; you all can't just give up on him like this!"

Grissom looked at his CSI sympathetically. "Nicky, Greg's in pain. Do you really want him to spend the rest of his time here in agony? You have to let him go; it'll be better that way."

"No! He'll pull through; he always does! Just give him a couple more days, please."

Grissom sighed heavily and placed his hands on Nick's shoulders. "I'm sorry Nick, but I think this is for the best- for him. And I know you know that, too."

"No," Nick choked. "You can't just…"

"If you want, Mr. Stokes, you can be with him when it happens," Dr. Magee said quietly. "I'm sure he'd be very happy to know that he's not alone in this."

Not answering, Nick just nodded. As much as it hurt and he felt like he was giving up on his little brother, Grissom was right-like always. Greg was in pain; it had been on his face for the past week no matter how deep he was in unconsciousness. He didn't want Greg to be hurting, because he was being selfish, not wanting to let him go.

Within the next few minutes, everyone said their tearful goodbyes to an oblivious Greg who had no idea what was going to happen. And when Nick came up, he nearly collapsed onto Greg's body, though, trying to hold in his tears.

"I'm sorry, Greggo, I'm so sorry that all of this happened. This is my fault; it should be me in here, not you. Oh god, G." He grasped Greg's limp hand as he watched the nurse unhook the machine, leaving it strangely silent in the room. Nick listened in horror as Greg's heartbeat immediately began to slow down and he began to beg for his little brother not to quit.

"Come on, G, don't do this. Please keep fighting; don't let Nigel win! If you die, he would've succeeded in his goal to kill you. Please, keep fighting man…don't leave me." First Warrick, now Greg- two of his brothers gone, just like that; god this life was a mess.

He couldn't hold the tears in any longer and as he cried, Greg slowly began fading away, inching closer and closer to death. He could hear the others crying behind them, but he didn't really care. They didn't understand how badly this was affecting _him._

"Greg, no…don't."

Beep …... Beep …... Beep …...

"Come on Greggo, don't give up."

Beep …... Beep ….. Beep …..

This was it; Greg was going to die right in his arms…

Beep …... Beep …... Beep ….…...

…and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Beep …Beep….

**TBC**

** Oh no, poor Greg! And evil me! Ok I don't know if this was too sappy or OOC for anyone but if it is I apologize. Also I tried my hardest to research all the medical stuff, but you know the internet…they never give straight answers half the time. Oh well. OMG wasn't last weds CSI so good?! Morgan and Greg should've kissed don't you think?! They were so close! Ugh, they need to happen already! Oh well, the next chapter will be up soon! (p.s. All mistakes are mine.)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Beep….Beep….Beep…..Beep…Beep…...Beep…..

Nick frowned. Something weird was happening. Looking up to Dr. Magee, she had an equally confused look on her face.

"I-I don't understand," she began, walking up to Greg and checking his vitals. She placed a stethoscope on Greg's chest and listened intently. Her brow furrowed as she stood there quietly, the team staring at her with impatient eyes.

Nick looked down at Greg as he held his breath. Was this really happening? Was Greg holding on? He encouragingly squeezed Greg's hand and shifted his weight on his legs uncomfortably as he waited for something to happen…anything.

"Oh my god; this is unbelievable."

"What…What is it?" Sara said moving closer to the doctor.

"I have no explanation for this, but…it seems to be that he's holding on his own. He's breathing, his heart's beating normally and his blood pressure is going back to normal. It's a miracle."

Nick scoffed a laugh and he smiled, looking at the team and that back to Greg's peaceful face. _I knew you could do it, buddy; I knew you wouldn't quit._ "Just keep fighting, kiddo; we'll get you through this."

~+CSI+~

"I did a few more test and it looks like Greg's gonna make it through. But I'm telling you this now: he's not out of the woods, yet. His breathing is still something I'm worried about so I have him on a nasal cannula for precautionary measures. Other than that, his brainwaves are strong, he no longer needs life support or the tube…it's amazing, I've never seen anything like this. I'm not complaining, though, and I'm sure you all aren't either. And though his infection is still present along with slight pneumonia, I'm very positive Greg will make it through this. His recovery process might be a bit difficult for him though. His body has been through a lot."

"Can we stay with him?" Nick asked, his voice wavering. He was physically and mentally drained, but no matter how tired he was, Greg was his first priority.

"I don't see why not," Dr. Magee smiled.

"I do," Catherine spoke up. "Nicky, you need to get some rest; you're running yourself to the ground. _ I_ will watch over Greg and _you_ will go home."

"But-"

"No arguments, I mean it. Sara, can you make sure he makes it home okay?"

The younger woman nodded before walking up to Greg and kissing him on his forehead.

"Come on, Nick, let's go."

The Texan looked hesitant. It wasn't that he didn't trust Catherine. He just really needed to be there when his brother woke up. They had a long journey ahead of them.

Catherine sighed heavily. "I promise I'll call you when he starts showing signs of waking up, alright? You just worry about yourself."

Reluctantly, Nick let himself be led out of the room by Sara and out of the hospital. Once on the road, it was completely silent. Nick rested his head on the cool window and closed his eyes, letting the low hum of the car lull him to sleep. Maybe Catherine was right; rest might do him some good.

Sara smiled when Nick ended up falling asleep. _Finally._ The man was making himself sick, because he hadn't had a full night's rest in days. Bringing her eyes back to the road, Sara felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest; it's been there since the day Greg and Nick were kidnapped and now that things were starting to get better, it was disappearing. She just hoped it stayed that way.

~+CSI+~

Grissom had gone back to the lab to finish writing the report on the case, leaving Catherine on her own with Greg. Seeing him in a hospital bed reminded her of the time after the explosion. He had been so tired and, at times, in so much pain. Guilt climbed through her chest as she reminded herself that it was all her fault he had been in so much pain in the first place. Sure, he constantly assured her for the next few weeks that she wasn't to blame, but she couldn't help herself.

Shaking the bad memories from her mind, Catherine scooted closer to the lab rat- turned CSI, stroking his arm and running her hands through his hair. It looked so different now that he hadn't tended to it with his so many hair products. The kid was one of a kind and the thought of losing him forever was unbearable. The doctor was right, though; Greg wasn't out of the woods. His breathing was still a bit scratchy, his forehead was layered with sweat causing strands of his blonde hair to stick to his face and he was still very pale. They had come so close to losing him…too many times actually. They'd always seemed to catch a break, however. The explosion: Greg got away with partial burns, the beating: he was luckier than Vasco Ruiz was all she could say, and now…the kidnapping: he had barely gotten out alive. Greg was a fighter and she loved that about the kid; he'd never give up no matter how frustrating or difficult the task was. Catherine smiled and pecked Greg on the cheek before rubbing it with her thumb. Leaning back in her chair, Catherine closed her eyes and drifted off. Unlike Nick, she had gotten some sleep in, but not enough to make her feel well rested.

"Night Greg; you'll be okay." _Hopefully._

~+CSI+~

He felt like complete shit. Worse than he had after the explosion and ten times worse than after he was nearly killed in the alley. His body was aching so much he could barely lift a finger and every time he tried breathing, flames would shoot through his chest. Worst of all, his head felt like exploding into a million pieces. And to add to his miseries, he had no idea what was going on or where the hell he was.

_Come on Greg, use your CSI skills. What's the last thing you remember?_

_**Umm…nothing. I can't remember a god damn thing!**_

___Think harder; it'll come to you._

_**Wait…now I do; Warrick's dead isn't he.**_

___Yep. _

_**Dammit…now where am I?**_

___What do you smell? Feel?_

Greg could feel himself climbing closer to consciousness; annoying beeps assaulted his ears, the strong smell of disinfectant entered his nose and he felt someone stroking his hair softly. And even though he knew it was probably meant to be comforting, it made him feel…well, uncomfortable. Whimpering, he tried shying away from the unwanted presence, but any little movement made him want to scream.

"Greg? Honey, can you hear me?"

Catherine stood up from her chair and watched the younger man intently. She had been dozing off, unconsciously stroking Greg's hair, when she heard a slight whimper. It startled, yet excited her; Greg could finally be waking up. She started to get nervous, though, when Greg's breathing started to become erratic…he was panicking.

"Greg? Greg, sweetie, calm down. You're alright, you're safe now okay?" She cupped his cheek gently, stroking it with her thumb, trying to calm the kid down.

Greg brows knitted together in confusion and he made no attempt to calm his breathing.

"Come on, Greg, I promise its safe now. Just take it easy, Hun."

Finally, the whimpering began to cease and Greg's eyes fluttered open. He looked at his surroundings for a moment before his glassy brown eyes landed on Catherine. She kept her hand on his face and looked him in the eyes sadly. She heard Greg try to speak, but his throat was so dry it made him break out into a cough.

"Shhh, don't speak, Greg." The older woman quickly turned to the nightstand and grabbed the cup of ice chips. Carefully, she placed a few on his tongue and waited for it to dissolve. Soon, his breathing slowed and he closed his eyes in relief.

"T-Thanks," he rasped.

"How are you feeling?"

It took a moment for Greg to respond, but when he did, it was one simple word. "Tired."

"I bet; why don't you go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up and Nick will too."

"No…not Nick," Greg rasped frantically, but his energy was going away fast. "Please… n-not safe w-with him; don't…come." With that, Greg returned to the world of darkness.

Catherine frowned and crossed her arms. What the hell happened between those two?

~+CSI+~

Nick walked briskly down the hallway, panting heavily. When he'd gotten the call from Catherine, he'd barely been sleeping. All he could think about was how Greg was going to react to him. He'd, then, booked it to the hospital, probably breaking a thousand road laws in the process and ran into the building. Something in Catherine's voice made him uneasy and he was desperate to find out what happened. Finally, he reached Greg's room and found him wearily talking to the doctor while Catherine was standing close by. Smiling, Nick took a deep breath; Greg was going to be okay. He was alive. Suddenly, the younger man's eyes seemed to lock with his and Nick grinned, hoping that the kid would do the same. Instead, he saw fear and pain build in the wide brown eyes before Greg looked away quickly. Nick's smile faltered and all hopes, of Greg forgiving him, were slashed. He should've known it wouldn't be that easy, though; if he wanted to earn Greg's trust back, he was gonna have to work through hell and high waters to get it. He hurt his brother and he had to make it right again.

Catherine suddenly noticed Nick standing there and she placed a hand on Greg's, whispering something in his ear and smiling at Dr. Magee before coming out. She emerged from the room and shut the door behind her; the look on her face was none other than confusion and a 'you better tell me what's going on' expression.

"H-How is he?" Nick exhaled shakily.

"Better; the doctor is checking him over right now."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Catherine impatiently broke it. No more secrets.

"You wanna tell me what's going on between you two? Greg is…he's terrified of you, Nicky."

Nick swallowed as he sat down in a nearby chair, folding his hands in front of him. _Greg was scared of him? God, what has he done? _The whole time Nick thought he'd be helping Greg by "understanding" Nigel, but all that got him was Greg dying multiple times and distrust from the kid.

"Nicky…what happened?" Catherine whispered, sitting down next to him and waited for an answer.

"There was um…only one reason we got out and only one reason both me and Greg aren't laying on steel slabs down in Doc's autopsy. Ha, if it weren't for Greggo, I don't think we'd be alive."

"What are you talking about?" Catherine said, leaning closer to the Texan.

"I had to do it; as much as it killed me, I had to do it. Nigel was beating the crap out of Greg and there wasn't anything I could do, except…understand Nigel. God, the things I said to Greg, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't forgive me."

When Catherine didn't say anything, Nick kept going. He might as well get it over with now…no matter how much he didn't want to relive those horrible days.

"I called him pathetic and a freak. I told him he could never replace Warrick as my brother and that he was a worthless piece of shit. And then to make things worse, Nigel added on to that beforehand…while he t-tortured Greg." Nick scrubbed his unwrapped hand down his face as he tried not to remember the screams that came from his little brother. "Fuck; he thinks I hate him, Cath. I mean I mentally scarred the kid and now…I don't know what's going to happen between us. He doesn't even want to see me, let alone even _look_ at me."

Catherine leaned back in her chair and looked up to the ceiling. _Damn._

"Nicky, listen to me; you tell Greg why you did what you did and he _will_ understand. When you tell him that you said those things to save him, then he'll know that you didn't really mean any of it. Just tell him what you told me: you did it only to save him." Catherine placed her hand on Nick's back and began rubbing circles slowly.

"He's not gonna want me in there with him."

Standing up, Catherine looked into the dimly lit room and noticed the doctor had left. _When did that happen?_ She looked at Greg before she turned to the Texan, heaving a sigh.

"Well, he's sleeping; now's your chance."

Nick stood up as well, pursing his lips and looking into the room with uncertainty.

"Are you sure? What if-"

"Nick…go. I promise it'll be fine. When have you known Greg to hold grudges?"

Catherine was right. When did Greg ever stay mad at anyone…actually, when did he ever get mad? Never; so why would he change now? Well, Nick could name a few reasons.

"Alright."

"Good." Catherine patted Nick's arm and watched as the Texan slowly made his way into Greg's room. It was dark, but the light over Greg's head lit the area up dimly…and his pallid, almost sunken, face. Nick fell deeper into his pit of guilt as he sat down next to the slumbering man.

"I'm so sorry, G. Please forgive me," he whispered. He didn't want to take Greg's hand- as much as he wanted to- because he was afraid he wouldn't wake up if he knew Nick was around. So, he remained silent and still. _Please forgive me, little brother._

~+CSI+~

He had been trying not to fall asleep even though he was dead tired…but determination to stay awake for Greg kept him alert. His hand had begun to start hurting again and he desperately wanted to take his painkillers, but painkillers meant drowsiness and he couldn't risk that. He was just about to stand up to stretch his legs and pace, when he saw Greg's eyes flutter slightly. His heart beating excitedly, he quietly moved closer, but not close enough to spook the kid. And when Greg's eyes blinked open, Nick's breath caught in his throat as he watched the younger man stare at the ceiling for a good two minutes before scanning the room…for a threat. Then the brown eyes locked with Nick's and immediately he tensed and his breathing intensified with fear.

"Hey, buddy, it's just me, okay? Take it easy. Are you feeling alright?"

Greg remained silent, his fear-filled eyes still staring at Nick with uncertainty.

Nick smiled nervously and lifted his casted arm up. "Can you believe these people? They gave me a pink cast…I mean do I look like a pink kind of guy?"

Silence…and those wide brown eyes.

Nick's smile vanished and he looked down at his hands before gazing up again.

"Come on, Greggo, please talk to me. What's going on in your head? Are you confused? Do you remember me? Please just let me know what's on your mind."

Then, out of the blue, Greg inched away slightly, taking his eyes off Nick and facing the opposite wall. This hurt Nick to the max, but nothing could be compared to the way he hurt Greg…he knew that.

"Greg…I need you to understand when I say this; those things- those horrible things- that came from my mouth…it was all a lie. I never meant to hurt you it's just…Nigel was gonna kill you and I couldn't let that happen. You were already sick and it pissed me off to see him do that to you. It nearly destroyed me, G." As he spoke, he noticed Greg's eyes slide to the right, looking at him…but not actually looking at him. Nick took a shuddering breath and continued. "You aren't worthless, you're not a freak or a wannabe, you're my brother and I love you. And the people I love, I'm supposed to protect and if I have to kill to justify that role, then so be it." Nick placed a hand on Greg's, but the younger man pulled it away and Nick sighed in dejection, looking down at his feet

But finally, Greg spoke, though his voice was hoarse from lack of use, plus the breathing tube. He turned to Nick with confusion in his eyes and his brow furrowed.

"Y-You killed Nigel?"

Nick looked up and it suddenly hit him: he killed another human…though Nigel wasn't a human, he was a monster. But still, he killed a man. Tears started falling from his eyes and he choked a sad laugh.

"Y-Yeah…I killed someone. My god, I killed man; I know I did it for a reason; he was gonna kill you. I had to save you, but…oh my god."

"You did it for me?"

The Texan sniffed and looked up at Greg after wiping his face. He thought for a moment before he spoke. Yes, he had done it for his little brother; whether it was Greg or anyone else he loved, he would kill for them.

"I did; no one is allowed to hurt you. Like I said, you're my little brother and I hate seeing you get hurt." Nick bowed his head and began to sob, the stress finally getting to him.

Greg watched quietly, his fear slowly ebbing away and sadness taking its place. Cautiously, he shakily reached out to Nick's hand and placed his on top. Nick had killed for him? God, the shit the Texan must've went through.

When Nick felt a slightly warm light weight on his hand, his heart leapt and he lifted his head. Greg was looking at him with, no longer fearful, but sympathetic eyes. He swallowed and placed his wrapped hand on top of Greg's in comfort.

"D-Do you…do you really mean that? About us being brothers? I thought..." Greg looked down and thought for a moment. This was still a sensitive matter for Nick. "I thought Warrick was…and I know I could never replace him…you even said so yourself."

"Hey," Nick said firmly. "I told you, everything I said back at that hellhole was a lie. But, yeah you can't replace him-"

Greg removed his hand out from Nick's and looked at him with complete sadness and hurt. Though he didn't know why; Nick was just telling him the truth, why should he be shocked?

"Wait! Let me finish," Nick said quickly, not wanting to give Greg the wrong idea. "You can't replace him, you know why? Because _you_ are my _little_ brother; he was my _big_ brother. He watched over me and I watch over you. Remember? We were the three musketeers?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Greg's lips in memory. "Yeah."

"Yeah?" Nick smiled back, delighted to see Greg smile which he hasn't done in so long.

"But Nick?" Greg yawned as he relaxed into the pillows. The drugs were beginning to drag him back to unconsciousness.

"Yeah, Greggo," Nick said, unconsciously grabbing his friend's hand again.

Greg closed his eyes and begun to drift off. "Who watched over Warrick?" And almost immediately, Greg's head lolled to the side and his breathing evened out. The corner of Nick's mouth twitched, but he thought about what had just been said.

"I don't know, G. I don't know."

**TBC**

** Yayy! Greg's better…or is he? And yay for Nick and Greg; they're friends again! Stay tuned for the next chapter! REVIEW! (Btw, any and all mistakes are mine)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Greg opened his eyes blearily and, immediately, his heart nearly stopped beating.

"No…oh god, no."

He couldn't be back here. He was supposed to be at the hospital with Nick. They were supposed to be safe…unless it was all just a fevered dream. A sick hallucination his subconscious tricked him into believing that he was safe and alive. Great. He had been unconscious for who knows how long and now he felt like he was gonna puke. He didn't think he could survive any longer. Painfully, he pushed himself into a sitting position from the grimy cement floor that was coated in blood…his blood. He scanned the room and his eyes suddenly landed on a heap in the far corner…unmoving.

"Nick? Nick can you hear me?"

Nothing

"Oh god." Was Nick dead? Where was Nigel? And then…

_Creak._

Oh no. This can't be happening; this can't be fucking happening!

"Hello Gregory."

"This isn't happening."

"Oh, but it is, Greggo. You and Nicky are still here. With me. And you you'll never get out of here alive. You can count on that."

Greg trembled violently as Nigel began to approach him at an ominous pace. He shrunk up against the wall and waited for the pain to begin again.

"Please don't."

~+CSI+~

Nick hurriedly returned to Greg's room with a fresh cup of coffee in his hands; he didn't want the kid waking up alone. But when he entered, his big brother senses went off; something was definitely wrong. He strode forward to Greg's side, forgetting the drink and watched the man's face carefully for any troubled expressions. It was silent for a moment and Nick thought he was just becoming paranoid, but when he moved to sit down, Greg let out a strangled whimper.

"G? Hey buddy it's alright. Can you hear me?" He made to grab Greg's hand, but it was jerked away frantically as Greg's limbs began to flail and his face contorted in pain and fear. A thick layer of sweat coated his pale face and Nick knew this was a cause for worry. Frowning, Nick placed a hand on Greg's forehead.

"Shit," Nick cursed, snatching his hand back. The kid was like a damn furnace. "Dammit Greg." He ran his hand through his short hair nervously, wondering what he should do; if he should leave Greg alone and get a nurse.

"Please…no," Greg suddenly cried out. "G-Get away from me…please don't hurt me!"

"Come on, Greggo, please wake up…you're scaring me."

Greg's breathing began to escalate, becoming labored and rapid, while his crying got worse.

"S-stop! P-please stop!"

Nick had no idea what to do. If he called the nurse, then he'd be forced out of the room and away from Greg and who knows what distress that would cause the kid. But then again, if his infection was getting worse, then Greg _really_ needed medical attention.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, just please s-stop!"

"Oh god."

~+CSI+~

Greg curled in on himself, sobbing quietly, after Nigel landed another harsh blow into his bruised stomach for the hundredth time.

"This is boring," Nigel huffed like a nine year old. "I know what'll really make you scream."

Greg gasped for air as he looked up wearily to find that Nigel had walked over to Nick and picked him up, wrapping his arm around the Texan's neck. And when he pulled out the large silver knife, Greg forgot all about his pains and instantly began worrying about his friend.

"No, don't…j-just leave him alone."

Suddenly, Nick's eyes snapped open and, boy, did he look angry.

"This is all your fault, you little brat," he growled.

Greg frowned. "W-What?"

"Did I stutter? Why do you have to be so stupid?! You're such a fucking screw-up, Greg; if you would've stayed with the team, none of this shit would've happened! I _hate_ you; you're worthless and pathetic and you will_ never_ be my brother! You're a fucking freak!"

Tears streaked Greg's dirt covered face at the words that couldn't possibly- but had- come from Nick's mouth.

"Y-You don't mean that."

"I do…I. Hate. You." And that was the last thing Nick said before Nigel quickly sliced the knife across Nick's exposed neck, causing blood to spill out onto the floor.

"No! Oh god, I'm so sorry; Nick!"

~+CSI+~

"Nick!" Greg sprung forward and into someone's arms. He struggled in a panic until he heard a familiar comforting voice.

"It's alright, G, it's okay. You're safe now; I gotcha, it was just a nightmare."

Greg pulled back slightly and found that it was Nick…the man that hated him…right? God, he was so confused; why didn't he know anything? Stupid! And that's when the dam broke. He buried his face in Nick's shoulder and started to cry. All the pain, the fear, the hurt- all came crashing down, weighing down on his chest.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Nick! I'm sorry; it was my fault. I don't blame you if you hate me. I'm such a s-screw-up!"

Nick frowned and looked at his blonde friend, his heartbreaking for him. Why the hell was he apologizing? He squeezed Greg closer to his chest as he felt the tremors increase in the smaller body. The nightmare had to have been pretty bad to make the kid shake like this.

"Shh…it'll be okay, I promise, it'll be alright…G, listen to me: you have nothing to apologize for. If anybody should be apologizing, it's me. And I already told you this; I don't blame you or hate you. I love you like my brother."

"No…" Greg sniffed, pulling away but not looking Nick in the eye. He was too guilt-ridden…embarrassed. He shivered and he felt himself being brought back to the older man's chest. And as much as he tried to protest, he was too weak…like always.

"Nick, no…you shouldn't. I-I'm the one who g-got us into this mess. If it weren't for me, we wouldn't even be here. It's m-my fault."

"Greg please stop…stop blaming yourself. I definitely don't blame you, okay? It'll be okay, I'm gonna make sure of that."

Instead of responding, Greg clung to Nick like he was a lifeline as he began to cry harder.

"Oh god," Nick whispered, trying to hold in the tears of his own. He hated seeing his little brother in so much pain…and not just physically. He ran his fingers through Greg's damp hair and down to his back as he willed the man to calm down. He was already sick; he didn't want the kid making himself worse. The Texan ran his hand up and down Greg's trembling back- his too warm back- as he whispered words of comfort.

It might've be twenty minutes, or maybe even hours, before Greg shakily pulled away and wiped his nose on his arm. But there was something about his movements that made Nick uneasy.

"N-Nick?" Greg's breathing was heavy and he looked like he was having trouble trying to stay conscious.

"Yeah, bud?"

"I don't…I don't feel so good." And that was the last thing he said before his body fell limp in Nick's arms, slumping back towards the pillows.

"Greg?" Nick pulled the younger CSI away from him and checked him over worriedly. His face was sheet pale, besides the flushed look on his cheeks. When Nick ran his hand over the kid's forehead and down his cheek, he could feel how cold and clammy he was, yet the heat radiating off his body was strong. His breathing was the thing that made troubled Nick the most, though, it being labored and uneven.

"Fuck." This wasn't good. "Greg can you hear me, man? Come on buddy wake up, please."

Nothing. "Dammit…Nurse! Nurse!"

During the next few minutes, Nick was locked out of the room while nurses and Dr. Magee bustled around Greg, trying to get him stabilized. And through the window he could faintly hear the frantic shouts of the medical staff,

"…emperature…down…high…dangerous…104 degrees…blood pressure… low … spiking…ice bath now!"

Suddenly, the door burst open and Greg was wheeled out of the room and down the hall.

"Wait!" Nick shouted, quickly following them. "What's going on? What's wrong with him?"

Dr. Magee stopped him as they reached the double door and Nick looked on in anxiety as Greg disappeared around the corner.

"I'm sorry, you can't be in here. Greg's infection is getting worse and his fever is climbing to a dangerous temperature. We're giving him an ice bath to try and get it down to a safer level, but I'll let you know when you can see him again."

"But-"

"I'm sorry Mr. Stokes."

Dr. Magee smiled sadly as she left to follow the group, leaving Nick alone with nothing but his thoughts. He ran a hand down his face and took a shaky breath as he leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor. He brought his knees to his chest, placed his face in his hands and started to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Greggo. I'm so sorry."

~+CSI+~

Nick stared at Greg through the window with haunted, red- rimmed eyes. He was loosely hugging himself as he watched his friend breathe irregularly even with the oxygen mask on his colorless face.

"Is he gonna be okay now?" He asked Dr. Magee, but not looking at her directly.

"I can't give you a solid answer right now, Nick, but it seems that his pneumonia has gotten worse. The ice bath helped a little and now we have him on stronger antibiotics, but it might be awhile before you're able to sit with him again; his immune system is extremely weak. Are you gonna be okay? Maybe you should go home and rest; inform the rest of your team?"

"I'm fine doctor," Nick lied with a forced smile.

Dr. Magee looked skeptic, but nodded. "Alright, if you need anything, you know what to do."

Nodding, Nick listened to the woman's footfalls diminish with distance. He figured he should probably let the team know what was going on, but he didn't trust himself to speak right now. Not when he was so close to puking his guts out. Giving one last look to Greg, he scrubbed his stubble covered chin and left for the bathroom. He didn't know what would come out since he hadn't eaten a full meal in days and he knew the nauseous feeling wouldn't leave until Greg got better, but he needed to get away. Seeing Greg struggle through the pain made him sick…and extremely guilty.

~+CSI+~

He peeled open his eyes and looked around in confusion. Where was he? And why did he feel so…shitty? He could feel something on his face and for a moment he started to panic until he reached up waveringly and pulled it away. Oxygen mask. Which meant hospital. Hospital. Nick. Nigel. It all came back to him…even the part where Nick hated him. And he didn't blame the guy; he was a screw-up and he didn't deserve to be a CSI…he never did. And he didn't deserve to live. He had to get out of here. He wanted to run away and leave the painful memories behind. And you know what they say: "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

~+CSI+~

Nick wearily walked through the halls, back to Greg's room. He didn't give a shit if he couldn't sit with the kid; he could still keep a protective brotherly eye on him. He took another swig of his newly poured coffee, grimacing when the cheap, disgusting liquid entered his mouth. Why was hospital coffee always so bad tasting?

Catherine was on her way back after he called her with the news and even though she insisted he go home, once again, he refused. Greg was his brother and he knew the kid would be doing the same if Nick were the one in the hospital bed…which he wished were the case, because he deserved it more than Greg. An innocent, bouncy kid shouldn't be stuck in this prison when he did nothing wrong. Sighing, he finally reached the room, glanced inside before taking another sip…and almost choking. The cup slipped from his grasp and landed on the floor, spilling its brown contents everywhere. Nick's heart skipped a beat and he bolted to the nurse's station in a blind panic.

Oh god, oh god. This wasn't happening. "Nurse!"

**TBC**

** OOOH what did I do now? Aww our poor Greggo… I'm so excited for next week's episode btw! Who's with me?! Anyways… REVIEWS! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Sorry for the long wait. This week has been the most stressful, most homework buried week of my life. I never thought I wished Friday to be over and I'm glad this week is almost done. But anyways, I had no time for writing (thank you school for getting in my way). But here's the next chapter and I hope you like it.**

"I don't know! I left for about ten minutes and when I came back, he was gone; how the hell am I supposed to know where he is…well, why aren't you looking, he could be fucking dead for all we know!"

Catherine could hear Nick's booming voice as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. Whatever was going on sounded pretty bad and was escalating quickly. She rounded the corner and jogged up to an angry, red faced Nick who was pacing the floor, shouting at startled nurses.

"Nicky," she said, placing a calming hand on his bicep. She got an immediate response as he turned around, panting like a dog. "What's going on?"

His face paled drastically as he looked at her with frantic eyes. "Greg…he…he's not in his room and no one knows where he could've gone…not even the doctors. And they…they found blood, Catherine. There was blood on the floor and no doubt it's Greg's. God, I never should've left."

"Nick, it's not your fault; we'll find him. He couldn't have gone far, right?"

Nick ignored the woman as he thought of the different scenarios in which Greg was severely hurt and why he had disappeared. He groaned in frustration as he resumed pacing and his eyes flicked everywhere in case Greg magically appeared. But he couldn't wait any longer. The more time he wasted, the more of a chance Greg could be closer to death.

"I need to go find him; I can't just stand here and do nothing," Nick said as he started walking down the hall.

"Nick!" Catherine shouted, but he already rounded the corner and out of sight. Sighing, she pulled out her phone and dialed for Grissom. She couldn't deal with this alone and neither could Nick.

~+CSI+~

The Texan walked briskly down the hallways, poking his head through doors, rudely shoving past other nurses and patients, while having the feeling of insanity- he wanted to rip his hair out!

"Come on, G, where the hell are you?"

What if someone took him? What if Nigel had an accomplice? What if…oh god…what if Nigel never died and he came back to finish the job? He'd never forgive himself if he let that happen. Greg has already been through a ton of shit, he didn't need this. No one deserved this much torture…well except for Nigel. He turned down another corner and into a less populated hallway…and by less populated, he meant it was completely vacant. Maybe that's why he was the only one who noticed the trail of blood on the floor. His heart stopped cold and he swallowed thickly; he slowed his pace, the sound of his harsh breathing and pounding heart the only thing filling the silence of the air.

"G-Greg?"

And when he saw the blood drops get bigger, he could feel all his blood drain from his face and drop to his toes. _Shit!_ And then there was blood smeared on the white, pristine wall. _Son of a god damn bitch!_ He followed the trail around the corner and when he saw a foot poking out from a doorway, he immediately knew it was Greg.

"Greg!" He ran to his friend's aid, wondering why he was bleeding. Did he pull a stitch? God, he would kick the kid's ass if he did that. He had no idea why he got out of bed, but right now that wasn't an issue to deal with. Skidding to a stop at the door, he kneeled down next to the shivering man, placing a hand on his sweaty, yet cold bare back. He scanned Greg's body for any injury and pleased to see that none of the stitches ripped…but when he reached Greg's arms he swore loudly. Blood- dried and fresh- coated most of his left arm and his right hand along with the floor around Greg's body. Most of the blood seemed to be originating from the center of his arm, right above the end of his cast. The idiot had torn the IV right out of his vein! Greg's other hand was weakly clutching his bleeding arm and his breathing was scratchy and strained. And what was worse, his face was a sickening paste color and coated in sweat, making his skin appear waxy.

"What the hell were you thinking, Greggo?"

**Twenty-Five Minutes Earlier**

_Greg took a deep breath as he sat up, taking in his surroundings. He was alone…and he deserved it. He didn't deserve any friends or family. Holding back his tears, he threw the covers off and swung his legs over the bed. He wanted to leave…he _needed _to leave. He needed to find clothes, shoes, go to the airport and get the hell out of dodge. He'd leave everything behind, but he didn't care. Las Vegas didn't need him anymore. The Crime Lab didn't need him either._

_ He was about to walk towards the door when a sharp sting followed by something warm trickling down his arm. He didn't really care, though; it was probably nothing, he just needed to disappear before a nurse came by. Leaning against the wall to hold up his unsteady body, he slipped out of the room, thankfully, unnoticed. Maybe after two hours of walking- well Greg knew it had only been a few minutes, but it felt like hours- when it dawned on him. He had no idea where the hell he was going…and his arm was hurting a lot more. He was starting to get dizzy and lightheaded and everything was out of focus. He leaned against the wall for support again and pushed himself to keep going. But the more he walked the more tired and sick he felt. And just when he saw the stairwell up ahead, Greg listed sideways, having fallen through a doorway and onto the cold floor. He groaned weakly as he tried pushing himself back up and then he saw it…blood…and a shit ton of it. But where was it coming from? His arm…is that why it was hurting so bad? Glancing to his left arm, he gasped. Yep, it was definitely his blood. Greg collapsed back to the ground, breathing heavily and trying to put pressure onto the cut. He was cold…so cold. Only then did he realize that he had no shirt on and the scrub bottoms he was wearing were thin. _Great job Greg._ He was gonna die here…he knew it. Why did he have to be so stupid? Well, at least he wouldn't have to be a bother to anyone anymore…especially Nick._

**Present**

"Greg, come on, wake up." He shook the kid's shoulder gently and smiled in relief when Greg's eyes sluggishly blinked open…though they were glazed over and unfocused. Greg was there, but not really there. He had to get him help fast.

"Hey buddy," Nick whispered, rubbing circles on Greg's back. "What are you doing walking around, man? You're gonna hurt yourself…you already did."

Greg didn't respond, but his eyes flicked to his arm that was still bleeding. Sighing, Nick heaved himself up, thanked the lord that they were in a storage closet, and grabbed a towel and some gauze. Getting back into Greg's line of vision, he tapped his face and smiled warmly.

"Hey kiddo, can you move your hand? I gotta take a look at this cut you gave yourself."

"N-No…hurts," Greg spoke softly.

"I know, G, but I need to stop the bleeding okay? Then we'll get you back into your nice, warm bed and everything will be okay again."

Greg's eyes dipped close, but he nodded.

"You have to keep your eyes open though, bud."

"Tired."

"Just for a little bit, I promise."

The glassy brown eyes made an appearance again, making Nick a little less nervous.

"Good; now let's see what we got here." He gently lifted Greg's hand off the wound and inspected it. The wound was small, but by the amount of blood that was spilling out of it, Nick guessed the I.V was taken out wrong.

"Greggo," Nick sighed as he pressed the towel to Greg's arm. Blood immediately soaked through one of the layers and Nick knew that this was extremely life-threatening. If he didn't get help now, Greg could bleed out right here on this floor. Greg could die in his arms _again_. He pressed a little harder in order to stop the bleeding and wrapped the towel securely to Greg's arm. The younger man whimpered feebly and Nick smoothed the sweaty blonde hair in order to keep him calm.

"Sorry, buddy. It'll be okay, we just gotta get you out of here."

The Texan searched his pockets for his cellphone, but remembered he had smashed it against the wall while he was yelling at the nurses. _Smart Nick, real smart._ Now how was he gonna get Greg help? No one was in the hallway and who knows how close he was to any nurse, patient or doctor. Sighing, he knew there was only one way.

"Hey," he said firmly when he noticed Greg's eyes were slipping closed again. "No falling asleep yet."

"S-Sorry."

"It's alright, man. Look, G, we're gonna have to walk, okay? Do you think you can stand?"

Greg thought for a moment. No, he really didn't feel like standing; he wanted to die right here. But, then again, he didn't want Nick to think he was weak; if he was gonna die, then he wanted to go out knowing that Nick didn't think less of him for one extra thing.

"Y-Yeah, I think s-so."

"You sure? Cause I can carry you if you're not up to walking."

"I'm good, Nicky… dammit s-sorry for calling you that...s'Warrick's…so s-stupid."

Nick's heart broke, but he didn't want to discuss this problem right now. Getting Greg to safety was his number one priority.

"Okay, I'm gonna wrap my arm around your waist and bring your uninjured arm over my shoulder so I can hoist you up; on the count of three: one…two…three."

Nick pulled Greg to a standing position, causing the younger man to grunt in pain. His legs went weak for a moment, but Nick kept a firm grasp on his waist…well as much as he could with a wrapped hand. They stood for a second, Nick letting Greg get his bearings before they began the treacherous journey back to civilization.

"You good?"

"Yeah…l-let's go."

"Okay, bud, just let me know when you get tired or it becomes too much."

Greg replied with a feeble grunt as he and Nick began walking out of the hallway and back the way they both came.

"Nick?" Greg said a few minutes later, sounding out of breath.

"You need to stop?"

"N-No…I'm just…I'm sorry I dragged you in-into this…my f-fault."

"Greggo, we can talk about this later, but right now just focus on breathing and keeping your eyes open."

"'Kay."

A few more minutes later, Greg was starting to slow down. His breathing was ragged and he had a coughing fit twice. Nick kept insisting that they stop or he carry him, but Greg refused. A part of Nick was proud for his little brother not wanting to give up, but if it was going to hurt him, he didn't want Greg trying too hard. Finally, Nick could hear voices and he knew they were almost there.

"You hear those voices, Greggo? We made it; we're almost there."

No response.

Nick's smile faltered as he looked over to Greg. He face was graying around the edges and he was beginning to wheeze. _Fuck._ The tremors were also getting worse and now the blood had completely dyed the white towel a crimson red.

"Ni-Nick?"

"Yeah man? You feeling alright? Do you need to sit?"

"C-Cold."

"We're almost there, G, but we can still sit and I can-" but Nick couldn't finish his sentence, because Greg's eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head and slipped out of Nick's grasp, slumping to the floor in a boneless heap.

"Greg! Help, somebody! I need help over here!"

~+CSI+~

_"Help, somebody! I need help over here!"_

As soon as Catherine heard Nick's frantic cries she instantly knew that he had found Greg…obviously. Nick would stop at nothing to take care of the man he considered a brother. Nurses rushed past her as she walked quickly to the scene. And upon rounding the corner, she nearly broke down in tears. Greg looked like death warmed over and blood…so much blood coming from one area on Greg's arm. She noticed Nick had tried to staunch the bleeding with a towel, but apparently it still wasn't enough.

"Son of a bitch," she murmured.

"No! I can't leave him! He'll freak out if I'm not there!" Nick shouted, resisting the nurses that were trying to pull him away.

"Sir, in order to get your friend help, you need to get back and let us do our job!"

"Nicky," Catherine said in a soothing voice, going over to the Texan and gently pulling him away from Greg and he didn't resist. "Let them help Greg, alright?"

Nick sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He watched as the nurses crowded around his brother, shouting phrases and trying their best to get Greg stable before they wheeled him to the emergency room.

"Cath, he…he was dying." _He might still be._

"He'll be okay, Nick. You found him in time."

_Did he?_ Nick doubted that. "Shit, there's so much blood."

"Come on; let's go get you cleaned up."

"Huh?" What was she talking about? He was fine and he needed to be with Greg right now. There was no need for him to…

Then he looked down at himself and he grew nauseous. He saw the blood- Greg's blood- that was all over his clothes, his arms and his trembling hands.

"Oh my god." He sprinted over to nearby trashcan, doubled over and puked his guts out. Normally, seeing blood wouldn't faze him- it came with the job- but it was a friend's blood…it was his _brother's_ blood.

"That's it, just let it out. It's almost over," Catherine assured the Texan as she rubbed his back. And when he was finished, his knees grew weak and he collapsed against the wall, out of breath and pale.

"I'm…I'm just gonna sit here, Cath…you go…do whatever."

"Nick, you sure?"

"Y-Yeah, I just…I have to process all of this. I'll b-be okay. Just go."

"Alright," Catherine said hesitantly, squeezing Nick's shoulder. "I called the others and they should be here within a few minutes. You know where to find us."

Nick nodded silently and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. This was all too much for him to handle; he didn't know how much he could take. He didn't know how much Greg or his body could take. The more hits the kid took, the weaker his body got and the closer it was coming to being unable to fight anything off. He ran his fingers through his hair as he let a few tears fall onto his cheeks. Why, of all people, did this have to happen to them? What had they ever done that made them deserve this? Especially Greg; the kid was as innocent as they came. Not even the death of Demetrius James was his fault.

He sighed heavily and pressed his fingers on his eyes before going to scratch his arm, only realizing it was under his cast. He looked down and the blood caught his eye again. Trying to keep the bile down, he pushed himself up and stumbled to the bathroom. He was about to wash his hand without the cast, when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked like shit, but all he could see was blood, blood, and more blood. Squeezing his eyes shut didn't help either, because all he could see was cold lifeless Greg and hear his screams vibrating in his eardrums. And when he opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he saw in the mirror…Nigel.

"Hello, Nicky. Looks like you're doing well."

He was going crazy; he was losing it. What the fuck was wrong with him? He whipped around and saw that no one was there. Turning back to the mirror, Nigel grinned at him.

"Get the hell out," Nick growled, his uninjured hand clutching the side of the sink tightly.

"I can't; I'm just a figure of your imagination…and I feel so honored that you miss me so much to envision me. Makes you regret killing me, huh?"

"Shut up."

"I bet you wish that you killed that pathetic waste of space instead, right? Greg doesn't deserve to be a CSI; he's just a loser, a wannabe, a-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Nick furiously punched the mirror with his casted hand, smashing the mirror into bits. Smashing Nigel's face into bits. The force vibrated through his healing bone and Nick snapped his hand back, wincing in pain. He panted heavily, looking down at his feet as he tried to calm himself down. Greg needed him right now and he didn't need negative energy while he was recovering. After splashing water on his face and drying it with a paper towel, he left the messed up bathroom and headed back towards the front. No doubt Grissom and Sara were there, and maybe hopefully Greg's doctor would come out and say he was okay. Maybe he could even see the kid. He just had to say he was sorry; sorry that he hasn't been a good brother and that he should've been there for him, because, frankly, he felt like he hasn't been.

**TBC**

**Aww poor Nicky and Greg! Poor Nicky, feeling so guilty :( Hope you liked it and that it wasn't too slow. (Any and all mistakes are mine, btw) Stay tuned for the next chapter. REVIEWS!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Hey, Hey, back again! Nothing much to say except CSI doesn't belong to me, blah, blah. Oh and this chapter and sort of a Nick centric chapter so I hope you'll still like it. Enjoy the chapter! :)**

After much arguing, Nick reluctantly went home…well Grissom _drove_ him home. The car ride was awkwardly quiet and tense and Nick's anger wasn't making anything better. His jaw was clenched tight and his nails were leaving marks on his palms.

"Nick," Grissom sighed, looking at the Texan.

"What?" Nick said, taut with fury. He wanted to stay with Greg…with his little brother, but Catherine, Grissom, Sara, even Greg's doctor would not stand down. And it really pissed him off. How could they take him away from his kid brother who was hurting severely- mentally and physically? Didn't they know how much the kid needed him? Didn't they know how much _he_ needed Greg?

"It's not your fault; Greg's the one-"

"So what, now you're blaming Greg? Hell, why don't you just blame him for every goddamn thing that's happened over the past few years! Maybe even blame him for Warrick's death! That's his fault, too, right?!

"Nick, I never said that," Grissom said calmly, despite the anger radiating from the younger man. "I don't blame Greg for any of this and I _definitely_ don't blame him for Warrick's murder."

"Well, you might as well have said it," Nick muttered. "It's my fault, Gris," Nick finished sadly. "Not G's."

"Nick," Grissom began stopping the car and the Texan realized they were finally at his apartment. He quickly opened the door, mumbled a 'thanks' and left before Grissom could stop him. He hiked up the stairs, unlocked his door and slammed it angrily behind him. He felt like breaking something and he almost did when he saw the state his living room was in. He smiled weakly when he noticed the beer bottles, hot wing bones and crappy foam fingers laying there from a couple of weeks ago…before this nightmare happened.

_*Flashback*_

_ "Come on! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Ugh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Nick grumbled._

_ "Yes!" Greg jumped up, fist pumping the air with a goofy grin on his face. _

_ Nick rolled his eyes but grinned when Greg did his victory dance. He leaned back into the couch and waited for him to finish._

_ "You're weird, you know that, G?"_

_ "I'll take that as a compliment," Greg chuckled, sitting back down next to Nick. "Being weird means I'm special; no one wants normal."_

_ "Yeah, you're special," Nick scoffed, pushing the side of Greg's head playfully._

_ "Whatever; I told you, Falcons are sooo much better than Vikings."_

_ "Don't start that up again; how many games has Falcons won? 8. Vikings- 30. You do the math."_

_ "Too tired; my brain hurts from being such a genius all the time."_

_ Nick snorted and brought his eyes back to the game. Suddenly he got a face full of foam as Greg smacked him with the finger._

_ "Hey!"_

_ "Wasn't me."_

_ "You're the only other person in here, how could it not be you?"_

_ Greg shrugged, trying to suppress a smile. "I'm telling you it wasn't m-"_

_ Nick smacked him with his foam finger and the younger man scoffed in surprise._

_ "Really? You're gonna play it like that?"_

_ "Hey," Nick said, putting his hands up innocently. "You're the one who started it."_

_ "I'm warning you," Greg said joking yet serious tone."_

_ "Bring it on…genius."_

_*End Flashback*_

Nick shook his head, breaking out of his trance and chuckling sadly. He put his hands on his hips; that was the old Greg, now…he wasn't so sure what all of this would do to Greg's personality. Clearing his throat, he made towards the kitchen, took a bottle of beer out from the fridge and gulped it all down in seconds. He remembered when Greg had drunk too much beer…for the kid's size anyways.

_*Flashback*_

_ "Nick?"_

_ "Yeah man?" Nick said, not taking his eye off the screen."_

_ "I don't…I don't think I should drive."_

_ Nick glanced at his younger friend and chuckled lightly. The kid was fighting to keep his eyes open and he way swaying slightly in place."_

_ "You drunk, bud?"_

_ Greg hiccupped silently, nodding his head. "T-Think so…can I crash here for the night?"_

_ "Not a problem, Greggo; I wouldn't want you driving either."_

_ "Thanks," Greg slurred, listing forward, almost face-planting on the floor._

_ "Whoa there, buddy," Nick said, placing a hand on Greg's chest to keep him from falling. Nick grabbed him by his bicep and wrapped it over his shoulders while he snaked his own arm around the kid's slender waist. "Come on, lets go."_

_ Without resistance, Greg let himself be led to Nick's spare room, stumbling immensely._

_ "Dude, how many beers did you have?"_

_ "O-One and a half."_

_ "You are such a lightweight," laughed Nick._

_ "Am not," Greg shot back halfheartedly._

_ Nick pat the man's back softly as he placed him on the bed and removed his shoes before pushing him back against the pillows. He brought the covers over his shoulders and smiled; he really felt like a big brother._

_ "Thanks Nick."_

_ "Don't worry about it man, just get some sleep."_

_ "No…I mean thank you…for being here for me…for being the big brother I never had."_

_ "You know I'll always have your back, Greg and I'll always be there for you like your brother. Don't doubt that."_

_ "I know…I don't…it's just that after my grandfather and then Warrick, I thought I'd have no one…I thought I wouldn't matter to anyone anymore. I'm just glad you're still h…" Greg started to trail off and fell into a deep sleep._

_ Nick swallowed thickly; it upset him that Greg felt he was alone and unwanted…like he had no family. But truthfully, he was glad Greg was here, too. Where would he be without the kid? Where would they _all_ be? He knew one thing, though. Things would be a lot worse if they didn't have their goofy ex-lab rat in their lives._

_ "You do matter, Greggo and I promise I'll never leave. Not without a fight." Nick smiled, rubbing Greg's arm before heading to his own room for the night._

_*End Flashback*_

Nick sighed as he dropped onto the couch, completely exhausted. He wanted Greg to get better…soon. He couldn't think of a life without his little brother by his side; his wingman on dates or his 'rival' on game days. Yawning, Nick's eyes began to droop close; he didn't want to sleep though. He wanted to be ready for when someone from the hospital called, saying that he could sit with Greg. But the many days of insomnia finally got to him and he passed out uncomfortably on his couch.

~+CSI+~

_"Ah! Please s-stop!"_

_ "Nigel stop hurting him! I swear to god, stop it!"_

_ "Why Nicky? We were just getting started; aren't we having fun Greggo?"_

_ Greg sobbed, his body shaking violently with pain and tears. "N-Nick."_

_ "Oh god, Greg I'm so sorry."_

_ "Sorry? You're sorry for this piece of crap? Well, maybe I'll have to show you how weak he really is."_

_ Nigel moved back to Greg and began torturing him even more. It was killing him; it was killing Nick._

_ "P-Please stop; j-just kill me already! I can't do this any- anymore, just get it over with!"_

_ "No Greg, I know you can hold on. Just keep fighting, I know you can."_

_ Greg brought his pain filled eyes to lock on Nick's. _

_ "I'm s-sorry, Nick. I tried; I'm just too weak…I'm sorry."_

_ "Greg don't…don't leave me here alone with this psycho."_

_ "Psycho! How could you? Well then," Nigel closed in on Greg's small body. "If it's a death wish you want, then you shall get it."_

_ Nick watched in horror as Nigel wrapped his grimy hands around Greg's neck and squeezed. He was forced to listen to Greg's wheezing breaths and his desperate gasps for air. Tears ran down his face as he cried violently, watching as the light faded away from Greg's brown eyes. Within seconds, Nigel let Greg's limp body fall to the floor, his unseeing eyes facing Nick. He could still see the pain in them and it nearly made him puke._

_ "Oh fuck. I'm gonna kill you, you fucking bastard! I'm gonna fucking kill you! Greg please…please don't leave me here…"_

_ Then the scene changed and he was back in his apartment, sitting in his kitchen. Suddenly, his cellphone buzzed erratically and he snatched it from the table, dread washing over him._

_ "H-Hello?"_

_ "Nicky, it's Catherine… Greg he…he lost too much blood. I'm so sorry, Hun."_

_ "What? What are you saying?" He shouted standing up._

_ "He died, Nick. Greg's dead."_

_ Dead…dead…dead…Greg's gone…_

Nick shot up from the couch, nearly toppling onto the floor. His heart was beating painfully against his chest, breaths uneven and sweat pouring from his face, soaking his shirt and spots on the couch.

"Oh god."

He had this weird feeling that something was wrong. That the phone call in his dream was telling him something had gone horribly wrong. So without thinking, Nick jumped up and ran out of his apartment into the cool of the night. He needed to get to the hospital now and getting a taxi at this hour would take forever. He would run if it got him to his brother faster. He ran down the streets, pushing past groups of party-goers and towards the hospital. He didn't care if it killed him…as long as he saw that Greg was okay, he didn't care if he died after this. He deserved it anyways.

"I'm coming G, just stay alive." _Please._

**TBC**

** Kind of a short, slow chapter and focused more on Nick this time. But the next chapter will be better, I promise. More Greg hurt and angst…and Greg thinking of quitting?! What? Stay tuned to find out! REVIEWS.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Sorry it took me uber long to update its just been crazy and I haven't had time to think of what to write for this chapter. But here it is, so enjoy! :)**

Nick bolted into the hospital, skidding down hallways and bumping into other patients, grieving family members and nurses. He didn't care about them; all he cared about was his little brother's life. He had been running non-stop since his adrenaline was on a high. Finally, he found Catherine standing by the nurse's station, talking to Grissom and Sara. As soon as the blonde saw him, his face red, covered in sweat and panting loudly, she was instantly concerned.

"Nicky? What the hell?"

"C-Catherine…" Nick stopped in front of the group and bent down, his hands on his knees. "G-Greg…how…where…is he?"

"Nick, what happened?" She said, placing a hand on his heaving back. "Did you…did you run here?"

"Doesn't…matter…where's…Greg?"

She pursed her lips and sighed. "Well, have something to drink fi-"

"No! Greg's…hurt…I need to…see if…he's…okay…please."

"Fine, but as soon as you see him, you're gonna drink a lot of water and relax for a while."

Nick nodded quickly. He wasn't gonna argue anymore, it just stalled his time for seeing Greg. The four slowly walked to Greg's new room, Catherine and Grissom warily eyeing Nick as his breathing didn't seem to ease. They couldn't believe that he actually _ran_ all the way from his house.

"Right here," Catherine said softly. "The doctor is still with him to monitor some things, but she said Greg would be okay."

"How…many?"

"How many what, Nicky?"

"St-stitches?"

Catherine pursed her lips. "Thirty."

Nick cursed under his breath. Not only did Greg have a cast and other horrible injuries, now _more _stitches were added to the list. He stood up straight and looked into the window, hoping to find his friend looking alive and well. And he was; Greg was sleeping peacefully in his bed while Dr. Magee was adjusting wires and writing things down on her clipboard. There was a large bandage wrapped around Greg's forearm, hiding the stitches while a nasal cannula snaked underneath his nose. His face had little color, but at least he was alive.

"Thank god," Nick whispered before he slumped to ground unconscious. All the adrenaline had now worn off due to seeing Greg and now his legs and chest were burning, his lungs felt constricted and his face felt a thousand degrees.

"Nick!"

~+CSI+~

` "Nick can you hear me?"

"Huh? Where am I?" Nick opened his eyes slowly and found that he was lying in an uncomfortable bed.

"Sweetie, you're at the hospital," Catherine whispered, stroking his arm. "You passed out from exhaustion and dehydration. Nick, I know you're worried about Greg, but-"

"Where's Greg?" Nick breathed heavily as he started to get up, but a wave of dizziness hit him at full force and he fell back against the pillows. Grunting, he put his hand to his temple and put pressure on it to try and ease the headache he was suddenly sporting.

"Nick, please calm down. Greg is doing fine; Sara is with him."

~+CSI+~

Sara ran her fingers through Greg's curly hair and she watched him breathe quietly. He was looking much better than he had earlier, probably due to the drugs that was currently being pumped into his body. She glanced at Greg's arm that had been recently bandaged and shook her head; thirty fricken stitches. She really wanted to know what had happened and why Greg thought it was good idea to rip his IV. He lost so much blood; she couldn't believe the kid even had that much blood in his body. He was so skinny. Sara moved her gaze to his other arm that was still in a cast, dried blood on parts of it, and thought to herself: Greg was gonna be stuck at home for a while; and even if he was cleared for duty, she didn't know what he'd do. Both hands and/or arms were out of service and he wouldn't even be able to do desk work. Poor kid; it'd break his heart. Greg loved his job and she'd hate to see him so sad when he wouldn't be able to do anything.

"Oh Greg." He had been through so much shit and she didn't know what the end result would be. She knew he was strong; in fact, Greg was the strongest guy she knew…not so much physically, but mentally. Sara rested her hand on his too warm forehead, knowing that his fever was still hovering at the line of dangerous and stable.

And Nick; Nick was out of control. I mean, he _ran_ to the hospital on little to no sleep and severe dehydration. God, even when Nigel was dead, he still managed to cause trouble. Sara ground her teeth in anger; she wanted so badly to be the one to kill Nigel. Rip his face off, tear his heart out of his chest, and let him die a slow painful death. The bastard deserved it. She looked at her slumbering friend once more and inhaled sharply. If things could just go back to the way they were.

"Please get better, Greg. I know you can, just show it okay?" Sara sniffed and laid her head down next to Greg's hand.

Suddenly, she heard someone take a deep breath and the bed sheets shift. Lifting her head back up, her brown eyes met another pair of tired brown eyes.

"Hey," she smiled, running her hand through Greg's hair again.

"S-Sara?"

"Yeah, it's me, Greg. How're you feeling?"

Greg rolled his head on the pillow to face towards the ceiling and he closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable in the pillows. "Really…tired."

"Yeah…that's to be expected, the doctor said; you lost a lot of blood."

"Hmm."

Sara could tell he was drifting back to sleep, but she had one quick question she needed to get off her chest.

"Greg, why did you try to leave?"

The younger man opened his eyes, looked at her for a second with sad eyes before closing them again.

"Greg?"

"N-Not cut out to be a CSI anymore…guys are better off without me." With that, Greg fell back into oblivion.

Sara leaned back in her chair and wiped her face.

"Crap."

~+CSI+~

Nick walked slowly to Greg's room with Catherine by his side to make sure he wouldn't fall over.

"Cath, I'm fine," Nick chuckled as they turned the corner. "I can make it to Greggo's room on my own."

"Nicky, stop whining. You look like you're about to pass out, so shut up and let's keep walking."

"Alright then," Nick mumbled.

Just as they got to Greg's door, Sara came out with a grim look on her face. Nick immediately picked up on this and nearly jumped on her with questions.

"What? What is it? Is Greg okay?"

"Umm…physically, he'll be fine, but I'm not so sure about mentally."

"Why, did he say something?" Catherine frowned worriedly.

"Yeah, he said he didn't feel like he was cut out to be a CSI and that we were better off without him…hence the reason why he tried to leave and pulling the IV out of his arm.

"Dammit, G." Nick pushed past Sara and walked into the room. He sat down in the chair Sara had vacated and stared at Greg hard. The kid was sleeping, but he was gonna make damn sure he heard him loud and clear. He grabbed Greg's hand and squeezed it gently to let him know he wasn't alone.

"Greg, we already went over this. Please, none of this is your fault, okay? None. G, you are the best CSI that I've met since Warrick and nothing, _nothing _at all will change that. Please, Greggo, I can't lose another friend…another brother." Tears started rolling down his cheeks and he squeezed his little brother's hand tighter. "I don't want to lose you, man. _We_ don't want to lose you, so please, just know that we are definitely _not_ better off without you. We're nearly breaking apart without you to brighten up our days. I love you man."

Suddenly, he felt the hand between his twitch and he looked up to Greg's eyes, hoping they would move; that Greg would be waking up.

"Love…you too, Nick."

**TBC**

** Aww a little brotherly love there. Sorry this chapter is so short and sucky, but I promise a better one coming up…possibly the last of second to last chapter. REVIEWS!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Last chapter! Sorry for taking so long! Thanks to everyone who stuck with my story and who favorited/alerted/followed/reviewed. You guys are awesome. I hope you like this last installment! Enjoy!**

_"Hello Nicky."_

_ "No…you're dead; I killed you!"_

_ "Nope, you _thought_ you killed me. Little did you know that a certain boy named Nigel Crane knows how to play dead. It hurt by the way; I didn't think you'd actually try and do that Nick. Anyways, I waited- I was gonna get my revenge on you and the little brat-"_

_ "You fucking stay away from him!"_

_ Nigel ignored Nick, continuing to speak. "-I waited in autopsy in that disgusting body bag and when the old coot opened it, I struck. He's probably dead now after losing all that blood."_

_ "No…" Nick was horrified. The bastard killed Doc Robbins._

_ "And as I made my way here, I killed all your friends, too. Now it's just you and Greggo that I have to get rid of…but first, how about we start with the one who started it all."_

_ Nick watched as Nigel disappeared into the darkness. He shivered, hating that he couldn't see what was going on and hoping the man didn't suddenly come up behind him. A light suddenly flicked on, revealing a familiar figure bound to a chair._

_ "Oh god…Greg! You leave him alone!"_

_ "No can do, Nicky. Once he's gone, we'll be together forever."_

_ Nick looked into Greg's tear filled eyes, the terror inside them making Nick ill to his stomach. He couldn't believe he had to watch this all over again; he had to watch his little brother get tortured all over again._

_ "Just let him go, please, you can have me. Kill me instead, just…let him go."_

_ "I'm sorry that it had to be this way, Nick. But in time you'll forgive me and thank me."_

_ Nigel went behind Greg, a silver knife in his hand. The younger CSI locked eyes with the Nick, shaking like a leaf and muffled whimpers coming from his gagged mouth._

_ "Nicky," he heard him say._

_ "I'm so sorry Greg; god, I'm so sorry."_

_ With that, Nigel lifted up the knife above his head and Nick was forced to watch as it was plunged into Greg's chest. He was forced to watch the blood spurt from the wound and see Greg struggle to breathe. He was forced to watch as he saw the light leave his little brother's big brown eyes and his head fall limp, his body no longer moving._

_ "No, Greg! You fucking son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" _

_ "Not unless I kill you." Nigel yanked the bloody knife out of Greg's body and walked stealthily over to Nick with a grin on his face. "I can't wait to be with you, Nicky; I know you will finally realize that this is what it had to be."_

_ "No!"_

~+CSI+~

"Nick! Wake up man, you're scaring me!"

"Greg!" Nick jerked awake with a shout before he realized where he really was. He was in Greg's room at the hospital and not with that psycho, Nigel. It was just a horrifying nightmare.

"Nick?"

The Texan wiped his face before turning to the younger CSI. The kid looked really worried and a bit scared. His face was returning to its normal color yet the fever still had yet to go down.

"Are you okay?"

Nick forced a smile for Greg's sake; no reason to get him worried. "Yeah, bud, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You were crying."

Nick touched his fingertips to his cheek and the wetness on his face confirmed that he had, indeed, been crying. Swallowing, he knew Greg was waiting for a confession or at least an explanation. But Greg already seemed to know.

"You're having nightmares, aren't you?"

Deciding it was pointless to lie to his little brother, Nick sighed heavily and nodded.

"Yeah…you are too, huh?"

Greg looked away and shook his head. "No."

"G, come on, that's bull. Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Greg, please talk to me…you need to talk about this. It's gonna kill you."

The young CSI brought his gaze back to Nick, staring him in the eyes intensely. "All this…it's really getting to me and…"

Nick waited, but was concerned when Greg didn't finish. "And what, Greg? Come on buddy."

"It's getting to be too much and I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle it on my own."

"But you won't be on your own, man. You got me and Catherine and everyone else." And then he placed a hand on the man's arm gently. "And you are strong enough, G; you're the strongest person I know. Please don't doubt that…anyways, it's my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Greg frowned.

"I haven't really been there for you man," Nick sat back in the chair and looked off into space. "I mean, I said the worst things a best friend could say to a guy, I let Nigel beat you to death and-"

"Nick stop…please," Greg chuckled, shaking his head.

"What?" Nick said, feeling a smile creep on his face.

"Just…you; no matter whose fault it is, you always take the blame. Let me have some for a change."

"Greg-"

"I mean it," Greg smirked.

"Alright, alright…but Greg, I promise it'll be okay."

The smile faded from Greg's face as he sighed heavily. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Nick."

And the older man was about to say something, but then there was a knock on the door before three people entered the room. Nick sat back with a disappointed sigh; he and Greg were gonna have to talk another time.

"Hey kiddo," Catherine smile, dragging another chair to Greg's side. "How're doing?"

"No worse."

"We brought you some food," Sara grinned, holding up a bag. "Well, more like snuck it in."

Greg smiled. "Thanks." And then he went quiet, drifting off from reality.

"Greg?" Someone touched his shoulder causing him to flinch. He looked over to his left and saw Catherine staring at him worriedly. "I know when you're lying, and you definitely don't look okay."

Greg forced a smile, but he could feel his eyes prickling with tears. "Really guys, I'm good. Just need time to process all this."

Grissom looked at his youngest CSI skeptically and when Greg caught the older man's eyes, it caused the kid to look away hastily.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Greg alone."

Nick frowned and turned to his boss. He was reluctant to leave his little brother; not that he didn't trust Grissom, he just promised he'd be with Greg the whole time.

"Come on, Nick, you look like you could use some coffee." Catherine grabbed Nick's arm and helped him up. "He won't be alone."

Sighing, Nick squeezed Greg's arm before following the two women out of the room. Grissom took Nick's vacant chair. Greg avoided his boss' eyes, focusing on a little spot on the wall. "Greg?"

The kid remained silent and Grissom sighed, still keeping his eyes on the young man.

"You know, I don't think I ever told you this, but…I'm real proud of you Greg."

Greg scoffed. "Yeah? For what?"

"A lot of things; you've really proved yourself a hardworking and remarkable CSI. And whatever Nigel told you, it's not true. He never knew the type of person you are and he doesn't know how we think. He was just trying to get to your head; why do you think I gave you a second chance on your proficiency test? Because I knew you had potential- you still do- and I know you're strong enough. You can't believe the words that put you down, because you should know that you're a choice that I'll never regret making."

Quirking an eyebrow, Greg looked over at Grissom sadly. _Did he really just say that? Gil Grissom, the guy that was always annoyed by him, said that?_ "Are you serious? You really mean that?"

"I wouldn't be telling you if I didn't, Greg."

The young CSI stared at Grissom for a long time to see if he was lying, but when had he known his boss to lie? The corner of his mouth flicked upwards weakly in appreciation.

"Thanks."

Grissom smiled back and patted Greg's knee. "Get some rest, kid. You and Nick have a long road to recovery."

Nodding, Greg settled back against the pillows. Smirking, Grissom rested a hand on Greg's shoulder. "I'm sure Nick will be back soon; you know how he is when he's protective."

Greg snorted, closing his eyes. "Yeah, try _overly_ protective."

"He's just looking out for you."

"I know," Greg whispered before drifting off into a light sleep.

Grissom smiled as he left the room, nearly colliding into the Texan on the way out.

"Nick."

"Is he okay?"

"He will be, Nicky. Just give it time."

Sighing inwardly, Nick pushed past Grissom and back into the room to sit with Greg. The man was sleeping, snoring faintly, and it made Nick smile in relief. If Grissom said Greg was gonna be okay, the _he_ believed Greg would be okay. Once he plopped in the chair, Nick watched quietly as Greg's chest bobbed up and down steadily. It lulled him to sleep and in seconds Nick was out cold, exhausted from the many days he skipped sleep.

~+CSI+~

He found himself staring in the mirror in the hospital bathroom; he'd been that way for the past five minutes and he was surprised Nick hadn't detected that yet. The man had a freakin radar built into his mind and Greg had barely gotten past him. Sighing, he looked at his face and grimaced in disgust. He looked like shit; his face was mostly pale except for the discolored areas where fading bruises remained. Dark circles underlined his red-rimmed, tired eyes and his hair was lifeless and flat.

"Wow, I really did a number on you."

Greg gasped and spun around…and there stood Nigel. Swallowing, he was prepared not to be scared again. What Nick and Grissom said, it gave him more confidence.

"You're not real."

"Of course I'm real; how else could I be here if I wasn't, Greggo?"

Greg sneered. "Shut up."

"Shhh, you should be quiet. Don't want to wake up Nicky, do you? Then again, the guy might be so fed up with you he'll get up and leave."

"Stop."

"Nicky hates you. Everyone does. Maybe you should just finish my job; kill yourself."

Tears came to Greg's eyes, but Grissom's words played in his head, helping him stand his ground. _You've really proved yourself a hardworking and remarkable CSI….he was just trying to get to your head…I know you're strong enough…you can't believe the words that put you down, because you should know that you're a choice that I'll never regret making._ Greg took a deep breath and glared at his hallucination of Nigel.

"Oooh, someone looks angry."

"I have friends who love me and everything that you've said is a lie."

"Is not."

"It is and I'll never believe what you'll say ever again, because you're dead and I'm not. I won, Nigel, and you lost. Nick and I beat you and you can never torture us again. You're a self-centered bastard who didn't want to be alone and kidnapped innocent people for your own fetish. Well, you forgot something; you messed with me, you messed with Nick, and you messed with the best CSI team in Las Vegas…now you're dead and you'll be alone for the rest of fucking eternity!"

Nigel looked at Greg in disgust, but he remained silent. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, when Nigel finally dissipated into thin air, leaving Greg staring at nothing but the closed door. He let out a sigh of relief before he collapsed against the toilet, completely drained of energy…but he did have the energy to cry. It was over. Nigel was gone and he'd beat him.

~+CSI+~

Nick heard something peculiar, but he was so tired and he didn't want to open his eyes. But the more he thought about it, he had a strange feeling the noise had something to do with his little brother. Nick blinked open his eyes and tried to adjust his sight to the dim lighting…and now he could hear it more clearly. Someone was crying…Greg was crying. He looked towards the bed, prepared to comfort the younger man, but his heart beat frantically against his chest when he realized the kid wasn't there.

"Greg?" Nick sat up quickly and looked around the room. The kid was nowhere to be found. And then he saw the light spilling out from underneath the bathroom door. Nick shot up from the chair and strode over, knocking on the door lightly.

"G?" He waited for a moment, hoping the door would open. But the sobbing continued and he wasn't gonna let the kid go through this alone. Turned the knob and pushed the door open slowly. What he saw broke his heart. Greg was on the floor propped against the toilet, heaving sobs wracking his small frame.

"Greg?" He knelt down next to his friend and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Greg, are you okay?" The kid was scaring him; why was he crying? Well, there were many acceptable answers as to why his little brother was upset, but what? "Come on bud, answer me."

Finally, Greg looked up at Nick and swallowed. "I'm okay, Nicky. For the first time in weeks, I think I'm really okay. I believe you and Grissom; you're right about what you said regarding Nigel. The son of a bitch is gone and he can't do anything to hurt me."

Nick grinned, cupping his friend's face. "Damn straight, kiddo. Now let's get you off this floor." He was really proud of his little brother; the kid finally realized what he meant to everyone and for overcoming his nightmare

Nodding, Greg let Nick hoist him up and help him back to the hospital bed. By the time he got there, he was nearly out of breath.

"Being…a cripple…sucks," Greg panted, collapsing against the pillows.

Nick laughed. The first time he laughed in a long time. And then Greg started to laugh, something he thought he never would do again. Nick grabbed Greg's hand and squeezed it lightly. "We'll be ok, Greggo, I promise."

"I know," Greg smiled tiredly. "I trust you."

~+CSI+~

**One Week Later**

"Feels good to be home," Greg sighed. He was glad to be out of that prison even though it was partially his fault he prolonged his stay.

"You could say that again, man," Nick grinned, patting Greg on the back as he shifted the younger man's bag on his shoulder. "Now come on, I'll help you get settled."

"Nick-"

"No buts."

"Geez, you sound like my mother." Greg rolled his eyes as he leaned his crutches on the back of the couch and before going around and falling back onto the comforting cushions. He was exhausted and he was ready to sleep for another five days.

Nick set Greg's things on the floor before going over to the fridge and sifting through the food. "Man, you need to go grocery shopping. You have nothing in here and I'm starving!"

"Not my fault, I haven't been here in, like, forever."

Nick snorted as he grabbed two beers from the fridge, hoping they were still good. Going over to the couch, he passed a bottle to Greg before sitting down himself. "So are you doing alright?"

"Yeah; I'm still pretty sore, but I'll be fine."

"I was talking about mentally, kid."

Greg sighed heavily, taking a sip of his beer. "I'm fine, I guess…"

"You guess?"

"I'm having some nightmares once in a while, but it's getting better…I promise."

"Good; pretty soon you'll be back at work in no time."

Greg nodded hesitantly and went silent, looking into space. Nick frowned, leaning forward to get a better look at Greg. There was something the kid wasn't telling him.

"You alright buddy?"

The man shrugged and looked towards his bedroom. For once, he really didn't want to talk or think about work…truth was, he was kind of afraid to go back. What if something like this happened again? What if he and Nick weren't so lucky next time it happened? God, he didn't want to think about what would happen to his older brother.

"Greg man, are you in there?"

The younger man broke out of his trance to look at the Texan who was staring at him expectantly, yet worriedly.

"Umm, I'm a little tired, I'm gonna go to bed if you don't mind."

"U-Uh, okay," Nick said, completely shocked. He watched in confusion as Greg placed his bottle on the coffee table as he stood up and disappeared down the hall. And just when he thought the man was getting better. He huffed; looks like he was gonna have another talk…and he wasn't gonna wait until it was too late- until Greg quit his job. He stood up and followed Greg into the bedroom, finding the kid sitting on the bed, head in his hands.

"Talk to me, buddy, what's the matter?" He sat down next to Greg and waited for an answer.

"Nick, I'm really tired."

"I know, but you need to tell me what's going on…" and then he realized: Greg had closed up after he said something about work. "If this is about being scared to go back to work, because this might happen again, I promise you it won't."

"You don't know that Nick! Look at our job! We may only be field mice, but sooner or later a hawk is gonna swoop down and kill us…and next time we might not be so lucky."

"Okay, yeah our job is dangerous sometimes, but we got each other, kid. And you got me; I got your back, Greg, and I'm never gonna let anything like this happen to you again. You're my little brother and it's my duty to keep you safe no matter what."

Greg shivered and Nick pulled him into a one armed hug. "Trust me, bud, it all gets better…did you know I felt the exact same way after I was buried alive?"

Greg frowned as he rested his head on Nick's shoulder and closed his eyes. "You never told me that."

"I never told anyone, actually, not even my therapist. I just…kept it all bottled in and when it was almost time to go back to work, I didn't want to go. I was afraid I'd get kidnapped again, or shot or stabbed. And there were these moments when I had the urge to walk into the lab and hand in my letter of resignation. I didn't want to get hurt again. But then I realized: I love this job and I wasn't about to let something like what happened keep me from doing the things I love. It should be the same for you, too Greggo. And I also had my family- my surrogate family. I knew if I quit, you'd be heartbroken, I mean who could live without me there to be awesome?"

Greg chuckled and snorted a laugh.

"Umm, that sounded a little cynical. I'm obviously the most awesome person you know…anyways, I know you're strong and I know you can push through this. We both know you love what you do like crazy; do you really want to let that go?"

Greg thought for a moment, leaving the two CSI's in sitting in silence.

"And I don't know what you think, but I think that everybody would be bummed that you weren't there anymore. I know I would; I mean who would be there to make us smile every day?"

"Hodges' face?"

Nick laughed. "Yeah, Hodges' face is pretty funny looking…but seriously man, don't let what happen get to you. You and I can beat it."

Greg sighed through his nose and opened his eyes before lifting his head off of Nick's shoulder. "You're right, Nicky- I mean, Nick…sorry."

"Don't worry about it, bud; in fact, you can call me that if you want. Like Warrick, you're my brother, too."

Greg grinned as he felt a weight lift from his chest. He guessed having a big brother had its benefits…and he was glad it was Nick. "Thanks."

"Now, are you up for some beer and a game or are you gonna be a party-pooper and sleep for the next few days?"

"I think I'll choose party-pooper, thank you very much," Greg smiled, pretending to yawn.

"Ah, come on, G!" Nick chuckled.

"Yeah, I was just joking; bet I could beat you to the living room."

"Greg, you're a cripple, obviously you can't beat me…but I'll give you a five second head-start, because I'm nice that-"

Greg heaved himself off the bed and limped out of the room, back towards the living room.

"Hey, no fair!" Nick jumped up, following in suit.

Once they were settled, Greg turned on the TV and the two sat back comfortably on the couch, beers in hand.

"It's good to have you back, little brother," Nick said.

Greg looked over at Nick with a small smile. "It's good to be back, big brother."

And Nick was never happier to have Greg by his side, because they now truly knew what it was like to be blood brothers and they knew that nothing could happen to change that.

**FIN**

** A little mushy brotherly love. Not sure if you like the ending, but there it is! Thanks all of you for reading and I can't wait to do another CSI story! I'll give you a summary: Greg is buried alive five months after Nick was…sound like something you'll read? I hope so! REVIEWS! P.S. Any and all mistakes are mine.**


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